Legend of Zelda: A Shadow in Time
by unwrittenlegacy
Summary: After being forced to run from Ganondorf, Zelda loses herself within the disguise of Sheik. Now driven by anger and loss. But she is called upon by the Goddesses to guide Link as he works to free the six sages; finding new allies and healing along the way. First chapter is a Flashback which you can skip if you know the game. Female Sheik x Link pairing. Completed 1/15/13. Finally!
1. Chapter 1: The Settling Darkness

**ATTENTION! - Sheik is a girl (period) for a great article on this fact check out . **

**Disclaimer—**I do not own Zelda or the characters created by the person that does own it. Thank you.

**If you know the backstory to Ocarina of Time, you can skip this first chapter if you want, this is just a view of Zelda's POV for the first little bit.**

**This is a long story; it will take a while for the romance to actually start.**

If you want to know what you are getting in to, there is a list of info about the story at the bottom.

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><p>x<p>

**Chapter 1: The Settling Darkness**

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><p>—<strong>Sheik's POV—<strong>

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><p>Growing up in the castle, as royalty, was something many of the townspeople and even nobles dreamt of. The boys wishing to be a prince learning to battle and be swooned after by all the ladies in the kingdom as he walks by. Or the girls dreaming of being pampered as a single child, the princess, and waiting for her knight in shining armor to come in and sweep her off her feet so she could live happily ever after. That is what the fairytales read to children in Castle Town makes it seem like at least.<p>

I had realized just how wonderful and…perfect, the fairytales sounded compared to true life, and the rest of Hyrule had learned with me. For the past six and a half years we experienced firsthand what the stories meant by the world being covered by a shroud of evil. The evil that makes the days dark and the nights darker; unfriendly even, and experiencing firsthand the feeling of living in fear; and the experiences only became worse and far-spread every day.

How could I have known, all those years ago, when I turned around, the person I saw standing before me would be the one to seal the fate of Hyrule away for seven years. That, because of this one person, Hyrule would be in the depths of evil and darkness, with no hope of light for almost an entire decade. But no, it was not enitrely his fault; I was the initiator.

How could I have even begun to fathom, the few simple words I spoke would be the ones to set in motion things of a cataclysmic nature, things that could only be taken back by reversing the hands of time. It could have been prevented had I called the breath back into my foolish throat before it could begin to form words and then sentences. How simple it would have been to prevent the deaths of innumerable amounts of people, including the death of the King and Queen of Hyrule.

But no, I thought that being the princess of Hyrule, it gave me the right to go behind my parents and ask a boy, not a man, but a boy, of eleven years of age, someone my age, to go and try to prevent what I knew was coming.

Since the start of the years of terror, tales of the Hero could be heard whispered behind closed doors, as a half-hearted hope for rescue and relief, but those stories did not fit with the genre of fairytales. They were true stories of the past, albeit they were made much prettier than how the events would have actually played out in real life.

The stories of the Hero were being relived once again by the once peaceful lands of Hyrule all because of Ganondorf...but even those were beginning to fade and die, just as the hope did across Hyrule. Years of waiting and hoping left most people broken, content to curl up and die, but there are a few of us, a very few granted, who will still stand up and work to protect the little peace still left in Hyrule, the small amount of normality. I have no hope of rescue, nor entertain the thought of a person rising from the smoke and ruble to right the wrongs. That naivety had left me shortly after the King and Queen died.

This line of thinking is always intense for me, I do not just remember my memories when I think about Ganondorf; I relive them. You see, it did not always used to be like this, there was a time, even as early as seven and a half years ago that there was only clear skies, beautiful weather, and a peace reigned all throughout Hyrule. My father and mother, King and Queen of Hyrule, ruled justly, as their parents before them.

Though I was an only child, I was not spoiled; I had been raised with love… I was not given chores and duties like cooking or making my bed but I had a decent grasp on politics and an impressive understanding of the inner workings of the kingdom by the age of eight. My mother saw to that, and my father (unbeknownst to my mother) made sure I had a small amount of training in the skills of bow and sword. Loved, skilled, and involved in many things, but usually still very much alone usually. Oh how simple and insignificant my "troubles" at that age now seem…

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><p>—<strong>Zelda's POV—<strong>

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><p><em>"No matter where I go, there is always someone there to say 'Your Highness' or 'milady' or 'Princess Zelda' or some other form of title. For the love of Naryu, is there no one who will treat me like a normal person? No one I can just talk to regularly and they not try to tread carefully with the words they say or the things they mention? The nobles always seem to think they can hide the shift in attitude when I am around, their children always act jealous or try to impress me to be their friend."<em>

I knew the boys had bets on who could become "my best friend" first and the girls, well; they were as shallow as a Kokiri is short

Letting a humorless smile cross her face she thought_ "and that's putting it nicely."_

I did not mind too much at the time, I was young and naïve, I noticed, but I did not care, they were nice enough and though my guards usually would not let me play with them, I had fun hearing them laugh and run around town. The times I was allowed to play with them was when they were playing a card game or board game, hopscotch was even fun if you had other people; I found out quickly just how fun it was by yourself later that week when I had nothing else to do at home. "_Not fun at all"_

The closest thing I had to a friend growing up was Impa. Impa is a Sheikah, a race sworn to protect the Hylian Royal Family. "Sheikah" stands for "shadow people" and they are called such because of their ability to appear and disappear, their tendency to not say much or show much emotion except around others in the Sheikah tribe. She is my guardian. If there is not a guard or servant around "_and sometimes even if there is" _Impa is around, watching and protecting me whether I see her or not. I have grown up with Impa around me all my life and I have never seen her cry, and I get lucky if I see her smile let alone laugh. This is not to suggest she does not feel or understand emotion, she just conceals it and does not let it affect her actions unless it is during one of the few times we are alone and she is lets herself slip into more of a friend role rather than a guardian role. Every few weeks she would slip away and be more of a friend because she knew how lonely I could get, she would hold me if I cried, and laugh if I told her of something silly that I did that day.

Her eyes, however, were constantly flowing with emotion. Though her face shows none, her eyes can tell you almost anything you need to know, as long as you can interpret it. And I've come to find that many people express more emotion in their eyes than on their face, especially if they are people like the Sheikah or nobles trying to impress or whatever the case may be. If the emotion doesn't reach the eyes, then a lot of times, it is not a genuine emotion.

Impa is very caring, towards me at least, and she is always willing to listen or tell me stories about her people. The same way my parents made sure I knew about politics, she made sure I knew most of Hyrule's history, well, anything that I did not learn already during my classes. Often times she even corrected what I had learned because it was changed to make the Hylians sound better. I learned all about the Zoras, Gorons, Gerudo and Kokiri as well as any general traditions or character traits each race had. I learned about the different plants and their properties or dangers and the creatures throughout Hyrule, friendly and some of the more dangerous. It may seem like a lot for a nine year old to contain but really if you think about it, if you had nothing else to do except sit in a castle "_or prison, that better describes it sometimes" _learning about the outside world almost makes up for not being able to go and see it. _Almost. _And on top of that I apparently caught on and understood things easily.

My favorite place to go on the castle grounds was a small garden, my favorite flowers, a few birds came a went through the seasons, but it was mine, only my parents, Impa and I were allowed in there. There was a small birdbath and three windows that looked into various parts of the castle. One looked into the main court where my father and mother would sit on their thrones and greet nobles or foreign dignitaries or who ever came into the castle to meet with the King. It was here I spent most of my free time. I would play my Ocarina or lie back enjoying the sun or go insane because I had already done the other two so much that they became boring.

My throat always gets tighter after I run through all the memories up to this point, because I know what happens next, but my mind keeps right on pulling up the memories, its like stepping into water with a strong current, once you're in it, it carries you where it wants to until it releases you from its grip.

_It was a normal evening; I had just gotten ready for bed and was making sure my bedroom door was locked before climbing into bed. Once comfortable I blew out the candle and lay down. The day today had started a little earlier than usual but I was thankful because it made me that much happier to be going to sleep finally, I knew I would be out in a matter of minutes. Had I known what was about to occur, I may have put off sleep for a day or so._

_-it was dark, it was a dream but it was dark, from this simple fact, I knew it would be a nightmare. I usually did not have them, but this stood out as something more than a normal dream. All of Hyrule was dark, the castle, Castle Town, and everything as far as the eye could see laid beneath a blanket of clouds. It was not just a rainstorm though, the clouds had a presence to them, it was unkind, and oppressive. It did not just hang over Hyrule, it suppressed it, all the beauty and glory that could usually be seen across Hyrule Field looked as though someone had taken a rag and wiped all the color off the trees and grass. The clouds were evil. I was terrified but no matter what I tried, I could not look away, and I could not wake up._

_Out of nowhere, a shaft of blue right erupted skyward from the direction of the forest where the Kokiri live. As I watched, a boy, no more than seven years old, dressed in all green with a long curved hat that reached the small of his back, walked out of he beam of light with a small bouncing ball of light over his shoulder-a small fairy, I realized after a closer look. However, even though he was young, I could see there was a certain look about him, not cocky or smug as many of the boys from noble families are, but very confident, very bold, but humble about it. As I watched, the darkness slowly began to recede until…_

I woke up… Impa was standing near my head by the side of my bed looking over me with concern. I could not remember much anything about the dream except the dark, evil cloud over Hyrule and the small boy with the fairy on his shoulder. I told Impa everything I could remember and my worries…

"I feel like something very bad is about to happen, I do not think this was a normal dream," I told her.

She looked at me silently for a moment before responding, "Do not think on it any tonight, you need to rest, tomorrow will be a full day. Do not forget what you feel though, this may be more important than you know in the near future"

"So you do not think I am going crazy?" I shyly smirked

Her eyes sparkled for a moment as her mouth twitched a small bit before she answered me that she did not, her eyes showing the humor she found in that simple question but the honesty of her answer all the same. Something else I have found while being around Impa as much as I am, is that along with her eyes, she will sometime have slight shifts of her mouth. It doesn't affect her face overall, but its slight enough to get just one more glimpse into how she is responding.

I would have to say she slowly became a weird mixture of a mother, sister, and friend to me. She cared and protected like a mother, listened like a sister, and conspired like a friend – yes conspired, she had a prankster side that was enhanced by her talents and training as a Sheikah, giving her access to different substances that had strange reactions to different things, her ability to sneak around undetected, and, Deku Nuts, something that became a favorite of mine. Easy enough to get _"Well, for anyone who got to go outside the castle grounds"_ and they are a great amount of fun. They would explode on contact with anything solid. It would not hurt so much as it would blind anyone who was looking in its general direction for a short time.

The days I was really bored she would sometimes sit with me for an hour or so and we would plan something elaborate for a prank on some of the more uptight guards around the palace and then sneak off and put it in action. I only got caught twice, unfortunately both times were by my mother. Those were both long days of lectures and a few following days of extra lessons…

Anyways, a couple weeks after I had the dream, there was a meeting scheduled between the King and the new leader for the Gerudos. The Gerudos are a race of people with dark skin and fiery red hair that is usually pulled back in a ponytail and left to grow long. The Gerudos are an all female race with a single male born once every hundred years and this male is their King. The Gerudos are a proud race, and very skilled fighters, skilled to a point of holding respect among all races in Hyrule. However they are also greatly regarded as thieves by all the other races also.

I was in my garden during the time my father was supposed to meet this new leader. This is where the memories get better and worse…

_I peer through the window every couple minutes to see if the man is there yet, its been such a long time since we have had a foreign visitor at the palace, and definitely the first time I will have seen a Gerudo in person. Impa is in with my father and mother, I have not had hardly any time to talk with her about my dream. I am quite certain it will happen soon, but I still do not remember much about it, just that it will be bad when it does._

_I check the window again and then hear soft footsteps behind me. My mind quickly registers the fact that it could not be either of my parents and definitely not Impa, because she would not make a sound at all so that leaves the simple fact that someone is in my garden that is not supposed to. Even the guards know not to come in here unless the castle comes under attack while I am here._

_By this time a gasp has formed in my mouth and I spin around ready for anything…except the young boy dressed all in green with a fairy over his shoulder…odd, he seems familiar, but he still shouldn't be—_

"_Who-who are you?" I ask, and without giving him time to respond I ask "And how did you get past the guards?"_

_He remains silent but looks down slightly embarrassed I guessed_

"_Is that…a fairy? Then are you… Are you from the forest?"_

_As he nods, more of my dream comes back to me that I had not remembered before, an image of a green, shining stone slowly forms in my head and the words Spiritual Stone of the Forest are shout out unbidden in my head. Pulling me back to some of my talks with Impa_

"_Then you wouldn't happen to have the Spiritual Stone of the Forest would you?" I ask with a soft smile on my face, he seems shy, but I remember the strong, brave face he wore in my dream_

_He pauses for a second and then nods._

"_Just as I thought" bringing my hands together in a show of excitement, and then I go on to explain the dream I had. Once I finished, he was looking at me with a hint of wonder and confusion; I then realized I never introduced myself_

_I do and then ask his name, as soon as I hear his name, something deep within me awakens, something recognizes it, or him, strange… I decide its best to push the feeling away for now._

_As we have been standing there, I have been able to watch him slowly relax, I smile more freely and he begins returning them, I feel at ease around him, there are no false pretenses, no masks or hidden agendas, he is here, listening and talking more now. For the first time, I feel like I have an actual friend, even though we have just met._

_I figure it will be best for me to explain things, apparently he has something to do with my dream, and that was a big deal, and he brought a stone that is of great importance to the Temple of Time. And so, I start in on explaining the secrets of the Secret Realm that have been passed down through the generations of Hyrule Kings and Queens…_

_Once I finish retelling the story I learned growing up, I glanced behind me, the King of the Gerudo has finally arrived and is kneeling before my father, I look back to Link and tell him to look at the man and my thoughts on him being what the dark clouds represented. From his eyes alone I can tell, this man, though his intentions seem pure and respectful, his heart is corrupted and twisted._

_I'm brought back from my thoughts as link jumps back in surprise, he tells me the man saw him watching. I tell him not to worry, he can't know what we are planning_

_I continue and tell him Ganondorf is probably after the Triforce that is hidden away in the Sacred Realm. My parents did not believe me when I told them my fears about Ganondorf, in fact, my father has stopped listening to me on the subject, our close relationship is slightly hurting from this, he sees nothing wrong with Ganondorf and plans to make a treaty with him. The only two people who know anything past that is Link and myself, so it must fall to us two._

_My fears must have shown on my face because Link softly lays a hand on my shoulder in a comforting way and rubs his thumb some soothingly. Something about him just sets me at ease…_

_I turn to Link and ask him to help me protect Hyrule._

_He smiles reassuringly and nods, in his soft but firm voice he answers "Of course, Zelda."_

_The simple fact that he called me only Zelda, not princess, or your highness, or any other title helps me know, I have just made a friend I can trust above anyone else, that I can talk to and be me around and not worry about looking and acting like a princess, I can be normal and he will be fine with it._

_I explain where the other stones are supposed to be and tell him I will keep the ocarina safe until he finishes that task and then we will get the Triforce before he does and then defeat him. Of course the fact that he's seven and I'm six while Ganondorf is well into his adult life doesn't cross my mind as a potential problem._

Impa arrived a short time later and walked out with Link, before they left the garden though, she taught him my favorite song, when my mother used to rock me before laying me down to sleep, she would hum a melody over me, it is a song passed down each generation through the Royal Family, it has magical powers and holds much sway over any who have had connection with the family, those close and loyal know the sound of it and will respond to it. This melody and the letter I wrote with my signature one it are two of the most helpful things we can give him before he leaves on his mission.

As the two walk out of the garden, Impa glances over her shoulder with a look on her face that tells me I need to wait for her so we can talk once she escorts Link out of the Castle grounds. I start walking back to my room humming a melody that is different than anything I've heard before.

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><p>I waited in my room, sitting on the edge of my bed after slowly walking back from my garden. Impa had yet to return after walking with Link to the front gates of the castle so I was not sure what to be expecting when she came in. Finally, I hear a soft knock on my door before she pushes it open slightly and slips in. <em>I had made sure a while ago she got past the idea of thinking she needed to wait for my permission to enter<em>.

As she stepped in I could see a thoughtful expression stretched across her face, one of concentration on details that looked as though they were troubling her. She came and sat on the bed beside me, laying an arm around my shoulders and pulling me near, it wasn't the warm hug of a mother, but it was a comforting feeling all the same.

She turned to me and stated, "Your new friend seems as though he isn't given to talking much. As we walked out, he did not say hardly anything, mostly just nodded or laughed a little"

Laughing lightly I shook my head "I noticed that too, but I think after a little while he may warm up and start talking a bit more. Maybe you just scared him, he started smiling close to the end of our talk, what did you do to him?" Leaning into her a bit harder for a second to show I was making a bit of fun at her.

She ignored the playful jab, "Well, he should know that if he plans on being your friend, he better be careful, you have some very protective guardians that do not allow much room for mistakes" she replied with an amused glint in her eyes for a second before she brought her face back under her emotional mask.

"I think things are coming to a point that we need to get a bag ready for you and set in a certain location that will help us be ready…" her voice trailing off, face set back into a look of deep concentration

"Ready for what Impa?" worry settling in around the edges of my voice causing it to waiver for a second, I knew what she was talking about but I wasn't sure I believed it had come to that yet.

She looked at me for a second, looked away and stood up. She walked over to my closet and with her back to me answered, "Whatever comes next. I am not sure that your dream was as far off as I thought it was at first, I saw the eyes of Ganondorf, his words were smooth and calming, his actions were refined and humble, but his eyes…" She let those words hang for a moment or two before continuing, "He is hiding at least some of his thoughts and plans, but it looked to be much more than just that. We must be ready. Whether it is him or someone else, now or later, we must be ready for anything."

I look at my hands folded in my lap; I noticed I had been fidgeting slightly without realizing it. I took a few quiet but deep breaths and calmed myself and Impa walked back and forth from my closet to my bed to a dresser and chest and then back to my bed until she had a large sized pile of clothes, first aid supplies, cloaks, and other random items and one small bag, about the size of a person's head.

"Surely we cannot carry that much stuff at once! I may be a princess but I don't need all that, especially if this is to be a quick get away plan, how many trunks is this going to take?"

Impa shook her head with a small smile and a look on her face that she gets when she is about to share a secret with me that she thinks I will enjoy hearing.

"This small bag here is special, It has the ability to hold more items than you think it can, also, things that look like they are to big to actually fit in here will still fit. Only a few Sheikah have them nowadays, I have a couple though, it also makes it so that no matter how much stuff you have in here, it still feels considerably light."

As if to prove her point, she began stuffing the pile on the bed into the bag, folding clothes, organizing things that are similar into different areas but in the end, the bag lived up to her praise, everything fit inside the bag, and when she told me to come look inside, I was surprised to see that there was still a considerable amount of space left.

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><p>Over the next few days, Impa began having me spend more time with her working on my archery and swordsmanship skills. She also introduced me to throwing stars, throwing knives and taught me how to teleport using Sheikah methods.<p>

I was picking up everything decently well, but I knew if I met any other Sheikah, I would still only be a beginner compared to them. The thing I enjoyed the most was transporting, mostly because if there were people around I was supposed (_was allowed to)_ to use a Deku Nut. I'm a girl, it makes me giggle, so sue me! Though after the first few times of me throwing one, giggling, and then transporting, Impa called that lesson to an end. She walked off muttering something about "can't let her keep that up or it could ruin…" and then she was too far out of hearing range. _Ruin what? _I thought to myself.

During this time, Impa also began working with me on my magical abilities. I knew I had them, but I had never tried to actually do anything with them. I knew I was the bearer of the piece of the Triforce of Wisdom, but I never explored it. I knew I had visions, but I found that deeper in that, I could use telepathy, mostly, from what Impa told me, with Link, but with practice I could communicate to others. Starting out however, it took a large amount of concentration and even then I couldn't sustain it or truly hold a conversation with Link, I could only get emotions from him.

I worked on it whenever I had free time or was doing something that didn't take much focus to complete the task. The few times I was able to establish any kind of connection with Link, I could feel some of his pain and weariness in the background. He was working hard though and usually there was a determination and strength that flowed strongly through our connection. He was only a seven year old kid but he seemed more like a young man who had fought and won many wars and knew he could do anything set before him. There was a fierceness and resolve that was almost terrifying. He was making good time and had already retrieved the Spiritual Stone of Fire and was at the Zora's domain working to find something or someone.

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><p>Training continued as usual for another two days until the day Ganondorf was scheduled to return to the castle to speak with father and his advisors again about the treaty. Impa and I were on edge all morning, he showed up shortly after lunch, instead of only coming alone though, he brought a large group of the women under his rule. All had fiery red hair, darker skin, and dark clothing. They had twin scimitars on either hip and though they stayed near the front door of the castle with their faces set in a neutral expression, there was a level of intimidation they gave off by the way they were standing in a readiness stance.<p>

From my garden, I watch as Ganondorf comes into the main court and kneels before my father, Impa left shortly before he arrived to check on our packs and be sure all was ready "Just in case" she said as she walked away. Ganondorf has now stood up and is shaking hands with my father, then turns and takes my mother's hand and kisses it in a show of respect. The three of them turn and walk towards a room where Father usually meets with his advisors and noblemen. Ganondorf glances around the room and meets my eyes for a few short seconds before following behind my parents. A dark smirk has come over his face as he closes the doors behind him. I hear someone walking up behind me but it's not the footfalls that Impa has. I turn around quickly enough to see a flash of red and then darkness overtakes my eyes.

Struggling against the arms that hold me, I begin screaming, until my breath is knocked out of my lungs by a fist to my stomach. I gather my wits and try to discern where I am by which way I think they are walking. I hear shouts from the corridor, screams of pain, grunts of exertion and the clangs and whacks echoing as blade strikes blade or shield or body. I hear a door open in front of us and then close again a second later behind, all noise muffled until I hear a soft pop and then two grunts followed quickly by an unintelligible shout and then a painful groan. The arms around me had released me but I still felt a presence nearby. A person moves closer to me and pulls the fabric off my head allowing me to see I am just outside a side door of the castle. Three Gerudos are cast around on the ground near my feet, one bleeding, two seemingly unconscious. In front of me stood three Sheikah, and a fourth one was walking up from behind them, it was Impa! Thank goodness she is safe! I breathe a sigh of relief.

Impa has our bags in hand, hands them to me and tells two to accompany me to the stables just down the hillside from where we are now; she pulls the third off to the side and begins whispering to him. Before I turn I see his face begin to fall before he sets it back to its neutral expression all Sheikahs wear.

Impa catches up to us before we reach the stables and as I climb up and Impa gets on behind me, she tells the three to go back to the castle to help get wounded out. At this I give a start, my parents! I whip my head around to the side to address Impa,

"Where are my parents?" I ask breathlessly, still somewhat recovering from being partially kidnapped and then rushing to the stables.

She glances down at me with a firm expression and softly says "You are my highest charge, I must insure that you are protected over all else." But I get an underlying feeling that there is more she is not telling me. She then tells me to hold on and digs her heel into the horse's side with a yell. We make it around to the main gate that has been busted in and are through before we are spotted. Yells are heard back at the castle and a barrage of arrows fall just short of where our horse had been running a matter of seconds ago.

We go flying down through the main square of Castle Town and turn and head east out of the city. The drawbridge begins lowering as the guards see us coming, we reach it just as it settles onto the stonework on the other side of the river. But there is a figure standing there, a small boy-why is a boy outside and alone at a time like this? But then I realize that it is Link, he has apparently finished getting all three Spiritual Stones and is coming to meet back up with me. What terrible timing! I curse our bad luck. We are now drawing even with him and it hits me; I probably won't see him again for a while, I have to get him the Ocarina of Time so he can stop Ganondorf! I reach into my pack in front of me, grab it and throw it wildly towards him.

It sails way over his head and into the river, but as I see it fall, I also see that Ganondorf is following us on horseback. He pulls up and stops near Link, looks down and it looks like he starts talking to him. By now we are too far away for me to see or for us to be seen and we ride off into the darkness. I pray to the Goddesses Link is alright, that Ganondorf leaves him alone and begins searching after us. We are only kids, stupid kids at that to think we could stop Ganondorf from anything. I scoff at myself _"And I'm supposed to be the bearer of the Triforce piece of Wisdom." _I shake my head in disgust.

Impa and I ride nonstop for the remainder of the night. By dawn we had put a fair amount of distance between Castle Town and us, but I could still see the smoke…all night. If I looked back, I could see a faint glow rising from where Hyrule Castle sits. My home has been destroyed. Once we stop, Impa helps me get down off the horse, and then once she gets down pulls me into a hug. Its one of the tightest embraces she has given me and, at that, my emotions rush to the surface and I break down and start crying. Before she even says the words, I know, I don't want to believe it, but I know.

"Dear…my dear, dear Zelda. I am so sorry….you're parents are dead…" she whispers into me ear as she pulls me, somehow, closer.

I cry until my body gives in to the call for sleep and even then it continues.

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><p>—<strong>Sheik's POV—<strong>

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><p>Yeah, I had no clue what I had started, even hearing those words, there was no way I could understand how much worse things could get in a matter of weeks, let alone years as one bad thing followed another. My parents had lost their lives, but all things considered, they were the lucky ones…<p>

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><p>1. Once more on this fact, Link is going to think Sheik is a boy. <strong>She<strong> looks like one, **she** will act like one, and **she** will tell Link **she** is, **but she is not**. Just so I am sure that matter is clear.

2. I will integrate in an idea that is not canon but was taken from another FF story by Rose Zemlya. I really enjoyed this idea so I am going to pull from it a little. I promise, I'm not making any mistakes out of ignorance. ;) at least none that I know of...

3. I will say this once and then leave you alone about it: If you don't like the way I write, something annoys you about what I've written or it's not canon, feel free to review or PM me. I feel like part of my job in posting these up is making sure you are enjoying reading them. If you don't review, I will continue as I am and take it as you being okay with how it is going and while you letting me know you like it is nice to hear and makes me feel good, I will not beg for reviews or punish you for not reviewing. ;)


	2. Chapter 2: The Promised Dawn

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**Chapter 2: The Promised Dawn**

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><p>—<strong>Link's POV—<strong>

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><p>Zelda gave me her Ocarina! Well, maybe gave isn't the right word, she threw it over her shoulder as she and Impa raced away from the castle and it splashed into the river then directly sank to the bottom, but still. This is what the Royal Family passed down and its really important for opening the Sacred Realm and some other stuff she said that I don't remember –<em>don't blame me for my lack of memory, I was too busy trying to not be distracted by how pretty she was. Sure, I'm seven years old, but I know it is still safe to say that she is the prettiest girl I have ever seen…<em>

Shaking my head I come back to reality, just as a big, black horse pulls up next to me, I get a crick in my neck looking up to see who it is, though I can tell just because of the presence he gives off. Ganondorf, his name gives mea bitter taste in my mouth. I don't hate him, but I don't understand how something so evil could be allowed to live in Hyrule. It's not like a human to be so evil that it radiates off a person like heat from a flame. He is like the sun giving off heat. It makes me almost nauseous being this close to him.

He looks at me condescendingly, mockingly and asks if I saw which way the horse with a young girl and older lady riding went. I glare back with a fierce look in my eyes but he laughs. Makes fun of me for being a little kid, even his compliment is an insult. I think I see a flash in his eyes for a second but couldn't be sure. He raises his hand and shoots a ball of black…energy? Not sure if that is the word I would use to describe it but who cares. It hurt as I fly backwards and land hard on the ground a few feet back from where I was just standing a couple minutes ago. He laughs and then shortly after, kicks his steed into motion again and races off into the darkness.

After he's gone, I turn and dive into the river, swim to the bottom and grab the Ocarina. I feel a power flow through my hands as I grip it and swim back towards the surface. As I climb out, it feels as though I am being drawn to the Temple of Time, so, not paying any attention to the soaked sate of my clothes of the coolness of the night on my wet skin, I begin walking across the drawbridge, through the town center and then up to the Temple, leaving a trail of puddles along the way.

* * *

><p>—<strong>Zelda's POV—<strong>

* * *

><p>I wake to the sound of wood crackling and a smell of stewed meat and vegetables carried on a soft breeze. As my eyes adjust to the brightness outside, I look around, Impa hadn't bothered setting up a full camp, and she got me as comfortable as possible and then, as far as I could tell, sat awake, watching our surroundings and me. Apparently at some time she pulled out some of the rations she packed for us and began making lunch.<p>

I had slept more than I thought I would be able to, a whole five hours, but I still felt half dead—the thought pulled me up short and I had to fight to regain composure, I still did not keep from shedding many tears and my shoulders being racked by silent sobs. Impa once again came over and wrapped me up in her arms. I knew she cared, but I had never experienced her showing it this freely and openly. I looked up at her and could see my pain and loss mirrored in her eyes. She was my guardian, but she had been around the family longer than I had in all actuality. In this moment, she was my sister.

Once my breathing became normal once more, I began eating the stew that had been steeping while I cried and relived my loss from the night before. I still couldn't accept it, my parents couldn't die, they…they had to be around…they had to be a part of my life, they couldn't die and leave and…I broke down again. Even Impa couldn't calm me down again, I pushed her away, not out of anger, I knew she had other things she needed to take care of for us to be safe, she wasn't hurt by me pulling away, she understood and started getting things ready for us to move again, but if she passed me while getting ready, she would let her hand brush my shoulder or hair or cheek, just small, quick and simple reassurances that were given just to remind me she was there. I couldn't hold myself together for anything.

Ultimately Impa lifted me up onto the horse and as she climbed up behind me I leaned forward and began soaking the mane of the horse with my tears, Impa's arms wrapped gently around me holding me over the horse. I fell asleep again, eyes red and my tears exhausted. As I slept, I saw their bodies, in the court, lying close to each other, the tears streaming freely down my face in my dream, then, the scene shifted. There was blue light, not blinding, but it was surrounded by darkness so it stood out. It the middle of the blue light, a figure laid, not broken or dead, but peaceful, as I got closer to it, my spirit was calmed and I drifted deeper into my dreams.

I woke up the next morning in a building; there were windows with the wooden shutters pulled to on the outside letting in just a few rays of sunshine. Impa was lying in a bed next to me though once again, she was awake, _Goddess, did she ever sleep?_ My movements apparently alerted her to my being awake and looked over, a small sad smile offered.

"I'm glad you slept as long as you did, for a while you were still crying even after you started drifting, but then you quieted down and slept peacefully," she offered

"All I remember is I had two dreams, well one was a nightmare, the other was strange, but I don't remember either of them" I replied groggily.

"Well we can rest easy for a while now, we are at my house in my home town, Kakariko. We need to keep you hidden all the same though. It will be very dangerous for you. The Gerudo apparently wanted badly to kidnap you at-that night…" she amended before mentioning the castle, "We need to find a disguise for you that allows reason for you to be with me, but not look suspicious to anyone around."

"I could be your niece" I offered, "That wouldn't make me being around you a lot look suspicious."

"True," she mused, "However, we need to change your appearance. You may say you're related to me, but you still look like Princess Zelda. Even a fool could tell it was you." She sat thinking for a few moments then glanced at me cautiously, " You may not appreciate this idea but I'm not sure we have a better way to go with this. You need to become my nephew, a Sheikah, I can teach you how to alter your appearance such as eye color, hair color, skin color and the like, and then we can put you in a Sheikah outfit. Your name will be… ummm…" she looked at me again and chuckled lightly "Your name will be Sheik." she stated simply

Apparently I wasn't listening too well because I gave a start at the name Sheik. "Wait!" I said, "Sheik is a boy's name"

She looked at me for a minute like I had lost my mind then said, "That's why I said you would be my nephew" raising an eyebrow in a questioning glance then laughed humorlessly for a second and said, "I wondered why you didn't object to that as soon as I said it. Looks like you still need a little more sleep, Princess" she ended with a wink.

I gave a half smirk back though I wasn't too sure what I thought about becoming a boy, but it would most likely keep me the safest and most hidden from Ganondorf, should he come knocking. At the thought of his name, everything from the past two days rushed back over me. Looking the part would be easy, not sure how I'll do acting like it if I keep randomly crying like this. Boys are supposed to be tough, they aren't supposed to cry or show fear or let emotion through other than anger right?

* * *

><p>The next morning I awoke with red and puffy eyes once again, it was an occurrence I was getting tired of to be quite honest. This morning however, the puffy eyes and irritation came with an attitude shift. Me crying did nothing to bring my parents back, it did nothing to get closer to destroying Ganondorf and making him pay for what he stole from me. One thing I learned well from the short time around the noble's sons and other common folk boys was that if another boy did something to you, you struck back, you got even, but not just even, you got them back worse.<p>

Vengeance. That was a word I could relate to, it was something I desired. Deeply. He hurt me, it was my turn to hurt him back, I would find Link, or work to lead him to me without tipping my hand to Ganondorf. My hatred rolled over me at the thought of his name, I wanted to deal the last blow, but I knew I wouldn't be able to do much right off the bat without his help.

Impa had been gone since I woke up, she still was not back yet so I stood up and began pacing back and forth, continuing on my thoughts and planning for how to get at Ganondorf. He still needed the Triforce to do much, surely it was just the fact that our guards were surprised that they beat us, surely there was nothing else behind him. He is just a man right?

I shove my thoughts aside as Impa slowly opens the door and shuffles into the room. One look at her face, which still held a haunted look on it before glancing up and getting it set firmly back in place looking as smooth as a calm lake, just one glance at that expression and I knew something else had gone terribly wrong. She hadn't let her emotions be that clear on her face since my parents died, what could be worse than that?

Sitting down on the bed, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, she looks at me and says, "Ganondorf has entered the Sacred Realm."

My heart gives a start, that's impossible, it would only open if…oh, Link, he went for the Master Sword after putting the Spiritual Stones in place in the temple of time and playing the Ocarina. Once he pulled it from the pedestal it must have opened the way to the Sacred Realm!

My voice quivers as I start to ask, "Did he-"

"No, he did not take the Triforce. He couldn't. One such as he cannot control the complete Triforce, there are defensive barriers put in place that make it so if someone with unbalanced Courage, Wisdom, and Power attempts to take the Triforce, it separates and the piece most like the one to touch it becomes its bearer. In Ganondorf's case, he now bears the piece of Power. You…"

Once again, at the sound of Ganondorf's name a huge emotion rolls through me, not one of loss, something more…. promising and satisfying, a determination to see him brought to a horrible end, a desire to watch him cringe, I'm only vaguely aware Impa has continued talking,

"… Wisdom, and the one who bears Courage, as you can probably guess, is Link."

Here my attention snaps back to Impa. _How much did I miss?_

"Though I have information on him also." She says, looking down at her hands in front of her. She pauses for a few moments, returns her gaze to me and says flatly, "Link is missing."

* * *

><p>—<strong>Link's POV—<strong>

* * *

><p>I step inside the Temple of Time. There is something…a feeling of powerful, unsettling, welcoming, distant…to this place for most people, but it feels like home to me. Others come and then go quickly, but for me…home is the only way to describe it, like, I was created to be in here.<p>

As I walk forward, I see a surface jutting out from the stairs that go up around either side of it with three indentions on the flat part of the surface. Once I reach a point halfway between the doors to the Temple and the surface, the three Spiritual Stones, float out of the bag I have them in and over to he surface, each settling over an indention. There is something like a small vibration from the Ocarina, and so I pull it out and play it. The doors behind the surface that the stairs lead up to slide open after I finish the song.

In the room there is darkness except for one shaft of light that partially lights up a pedestal in the center of the round room, there, in the middle of said pedestal is the Master Sword.

I quickly walk into the room and almost run up the steps to the sword. As I lay my hand on it, I hear a laugh start from behind me. Low, gradually rising into a loud cackle that echos multiple times off the round walls, bombarding me with overlapping rolls of dark laughter. With my hand still on he sword I turn around. Fear begins to sneak in as I see that it is Ganondorf standing behind me. _Duh! Creepy evil laugh that slowly builds until its just downright scary, what other guy fits the mold?_

An evil glint still in his eye, he thanks me for opening the passage to the Sacred Realm, claiming though he could have made it in on his own strength in his own time, it was much easier and nicer to just let me do all the hard work and then wait for me to come and make the foolish mistake of opening it.

Frustration at myself tears through me, I pull the sword free from its resting place and try to set my mind into racing towards Ganondorf when blue light shoots towards the ceiling all around me from the floor. And then…nothing…

* * *

><p>—<strong>Zelda's POV—<strong>

* * *

><p>"No one has seen him or heard of anything about a young boy dressed in green clothing since they saw him heading through Castle Town leaving a trail of water behind him. One person followed it to the Temple, but they saw nothing once they reached it, no one inside and no other trail leading away from the Temple from what they said." Impa explained.<p>

_Maybe no one has seen him because no one noticed him or was looking for him, _I was about to say as much but she must have seen the look of hope that went across my face and shook her head slowly. "No," she said, "its one thing to not notice a kid running around with toys, its quite another to not notice a little boy dressed all in green with a fairy flying around him with a small sword and shield over his shoulder… No, he did not leave the Temple, of that, I am sure. But there is deep magic there, I doubt he has not been seen because he is…" she hesitates, not out of uncertainty, but because she is not sure if she should use the word around me.

I take care of her hesitation by steeling my resolve and saying quietly but firmly "…because he is dead. And no, I agree, the Goddesses would not allow the Hero of Time to fail so near the beginning." _Surely they wouldn't allow him to fail at all, what would become of Hyrule?_

I notice Impa covertly looking up at me without fully raising my head. From what little I can see of her face and eyes there is concern there. I look and steel myself more a disgusting taste rising in my mouth but a feel of power rising from within me, the time for mourning is done, I must have my revenge, and I must have my justice… I must prepare….

* * *

><p>I set into the training Impa put before me like a fierceness that would give Gibdos and ReDead reason to pause. My anger and thirst for vengeance driving me forward, I learned any techniques and knowledge she gave me with a speed and precision that amazed her. She figured it just me working hard to help me play my part as her nephew better. Growing up, even outside of a Sheikah community, I would have learned a fair amount, Impa is a top leader in the Sheikah race now, she knows their history and fighting styles perfectly and she even helped make some of them so me knowing at least the basics is a must. Something that would usually take a few months to learn took a few weeks instead.<p>

My cover story is my father lived on the outskirts of Hyrule Field near Lake Hylia raising me on his own as my mother -Impa's sister- had died a month after I was born; her immune system still weak after giving birth she caught a sickness and died. _Better than being struck down by an evil man that has no heart!_ I think acidly. My father kept to himself after that -it makes it easier for people to understand why they didn't know Impa had a nephew- leaving only when he had to, but one night our house was broken in to, my father tried to scare the intruder away but was killed. I was only five at the time, and I ran out of the house and went to the building at Lake Hylia looking for anyone to help me. They supposedly helped me reach Impa though no one could go question if it was true as the people who "lived there" at the time hadn't been seen for years. It was not fool proof by any means, but it was enough that no one would question it, it was Impa after all! With no one else questioning it, the rumor would spread and it would give enough authority that no one would second guess the truth or think I am actually Zelda.

I devoured everything that Impa could teach me, battle strategies, fighting stances and techniques, how to use all sorts of weapons ranging from swords and staves to mastering throwing knives and daggers and even setting traps. Often times, I would sneak out of the house to work through the night without letting Impa know, though I think she started guessing at it when she woke the next morning and there were busted crates and broken broom sticks scattered across the back yard that couldn't last long as practice dummies. My archery improved as well as horseback riding. I had a wider range of abilities and skills that I knew, but they were all still at the same level or just above what other kids were my age knew who focused on half as many things as me. Growing up, they would learn most things, but would focus on one or two to start off with and then move to more things as they mastered the ones before.

With my background and cover story worked out and in place and a firm grasp on most of the basics that can be taught by the Sheikah, we left the area we had been training in hiding near Impa's house and met up with a constantly traveling group of Sheikah on the southeastern edge of Hyrule Field, not too far from the entrance to the Kokiri Forest.

I fell into my role perfectly, Zelda was locked away, sometimes I surprised myself at how well I was playing the part of Sheik, other times, it scared me. _Am I losing myself? _I questioned the first few weeks with them, as time progressed however I asked myself that less and less often as my answer came stronger and stronger. _No, this is who I was made to be, strong, brave, and the bringer of justice. Not some weak princess who breaks down every few minutes because someone says the words death or mother or father. Not even the name _Ganondorf _makes me cringe anymore, just that feeling of anger and hate. Your time will come Ganondorf!_

* * *

><p>—<strong>Sheik's POV—<strong>

* * *

><p>Over six years, <em>almost seven now<em>, since the day Princess Zelda died, or disappeared or was captured or ran away…whatever the running story was nowadays with the nobles and any still talking about that day. I laugh darkly to myself, if they only knew the truth; if they knew the one to step in after waiting in the shadows for something to go wrong and protect their sorry, worthless, ungrateful lives was the person that used to be Zelda, the one they spoke so scandalously and flippantly about, gossiping and spreading lies that could only come from their wildest dreams, there might not have been as much said, but shortly after they say Zelda disappeared, she did, only in a different way than they describe it.

I had heard just about everything now though I think, anything from me being killed in a part of the castle that collapsed, me running off to the other side of the mountains in fear, me being caught up by the Goddesses to be protected until this all blew over. Yeah, they were way out there, but the most recent I heard topped them all.

I was walking past a vendor's stand that gets set up through the day in Kakariko, one of the few to actually make it out of Castle Town before the Re-Dead moved in. There were a few ladies gathered in a tight circle whispering standing just off to the right of it. I usually don't pay much attention to the stories passed here more often than not it was nine parts rumor, one part truth. The rumor caught my attention though because it must have been birthed from a twisted romantic fantasy was cast out upon any ears ready to listen.

Information had apparently just been found to suggest that Zelda had hired Ganondorf to come execute her parents so she could take over the throne and that while she waited for the plan to come into fullness, she fell in love with Ganondorf and decided to secretly marry him.

The idea alone made me have to fight back a gag. He is revolting beyond measure, a few years ago I would have almost said as much, but I have become much too fixated in being Sheik to let such things upset me too much. As for the man standing deep in the shadows of the building nearby as the sun set, looking shifty and like he was up to no good, that it something that upsets me. Is it not enough for one bad guy to be alive and causing problems in the world?

I slip from view and then double back across the rooftops and settle on an edge, keeping the man just in view. After five minutes or so of watching he finally moves forward slowly, looking left and right before walking directly towards the younger ladies till left standing around, as he nears, he reaches into a side pocket and slips out a small knife. It wouldn't do much, even if he was holding it right, but the way he had it in his hand was too loose.

He gets the girls' attention and they gasp once the knife comes into view. He motions at them to hand over anything they have, and I've seen enough. I usually wait for a bit before stopping people because most people don't follow through or have a reason to be in the shadows. It's not common knowledge, but nobles would hire men as bodyguards and then have them act like common day muggers so it would lull any would be attackers into a sense of false security and then make the stop when needed. More than a few of the people I used to try to stop before they moved from the shadows turned out to be these hired hands, but this guy just stepped from that realm of possibility so I move into action.

I run to the edge of the roof nearest to him, jump, and land silently in a kneeling position, one knee just off the ground the other foot firmly set underneath me, hands on either side of my body. My movements caught the eyes of one of the girls, the rest too caught up in looking at the knife. I stand swiftly and move just behind him then reach around to take hold of the arm holding the knife; I grip his wrist and twist harshly. I feel more than hear the pop as I break his wrist and watch as the knife falls harmlessly to the ground. I yank his arm and twists his body around so I can look into his eyes. They are not ones filled with evil, of hate, but with need, desperation. I give a half glance to the girls and gruffly tell them to hurry home, I know they won't stick around or question when I address them in this tone. Impa taught me well how to adjust my voice in different situations. The more authority you can put behind your words, the better and more responsive people around you.

As they scamper off breathing sighs of relief, I turn back to the would-be robber. He looks at me with fear and pleading. He has, no doubt heard, about the "Brother of The Shadows", Sheik is how most of the people in Kakariko know me, but my other nickname has gotten around here also. Tales of rescue, protection, harshness, mysteriousness, _though that comes with the territory of being a Sheikah, I have apparently taken it to a new level, not speaking hardly at all, talking just above a whisper if I do or firmly as I just did._ The only frustrating thing sometimes, and problem solver other times, is that there is no stories of my makes me sound unyielding; I seek justice, but if a person is driven to acts against others out of desperation, I know many ways to help them get out of their current situation and into a better one.

This is the route I decide to take with this man who I can now see is in his late twenties, maybe early thirties. I deftly snap his wrist back into place, another cry of pain from him, and then pull out a red potion and tell him to drink. Once his wrist has been fully mended, I grab him by the arm and pull him out of the main traffic areas. He's still terrified, but bewilderment is written across his face now also. I turn him towards me once again once we get away from the majority of the crowds.

Quietly but firmly, I say to him, "That was a fool thing to do and you know it. Your needs do not condone your actions I don't care how dire they are. You do not react to things like that; you identify the problems and then act on the starting point for the problems. You." I say jabbing a finger into his chest, "You, are able to fix your current problem without resorting to scaring a few girls into giving you things that will not solve your problem in the long run.

"If it's money you need, get a job, if you cant find a job, tell me now, I have strong connections with many people who need good workers. If you can't hold a job, work harder, it's not your employer's fault, it's yours. You need the money, you do the work for them they require," I finish a little louder than I started.

He is looking at the ground by this point after having been interrupted multiple times as he no doubt tried to make an excuse for one thing or another. I look at him with pity on the inside but a resolve still set on my face. I snap my fingers near his head and he slowly returns his gaze to me.

As calmly and disarmingly as I can, I ask. "Is there anything I missed?" I want to be sure before I end this conversation I know all the sides, advice is almost worthless if it speaks to the wrong need.

He shakes his head and mutters "No."

I nod my face relaxing some into a softer expression, "Alright then, I want you to go talk to Impa early tomorrow morning, she will have a place for you to report to for work the day after, get home, relay the good news and then have a better night than the one you've had so far."

I turn to begin leaving and say over my shoulder "By the way, this conversation stay between you, me, and Impa."

No one telling stories of my mercy may be frustrating sometimes, but as I also said, it can be dead useful. People fear me if they do wrong, they know I do not hesitate when it comes down to it. Had the man tonight shown any evil tendencies or shown enjoyment in causing fear or pain, he would have found himself waking up back in Castle Town with Re-Dead surrounding him. I don't kill outside life and death situations, but that doesn't mean I always save…

I turn and walk back out of the city's gates to return to the camp the Sheikah I have been roaming with for the past year. Impa and I separated for the time being, she was more help in Kakariko than with me, and I was more help being in the different towns throughout Hyrule. Making sure the peace was being kept, well, the little peace that still remained since Ganondorf came in.

* * *

><p>As I stroll back into camp I pass a few people walking between two of the three small fires we normally build, one large fire would attract too much attention; more light and smoke than is safe or desired, but our number is not too great to need more than three small fires, the Sheikah are much reduced in numbers now days, and the number dwindles more each passing decade.<p>

As I come up to the fire I usually sit at, one of the boys, Jared, who became a sort of friend looks up and grins at me. "So, Sheik, how many baddies did you beat up tonight? Save any fair damsels in distress, got any admirers now, do I need to go check and see if she is worthy?" finishing with a wink. Those gathered nearby give a soft chuckle. This is the normal greeting he began giving me since Impa decided to stay in Kakariko, a running joke between us though I usually didn't return the favor for him.

I shake my head and take a seat near the warmth of the fire, soaking it in through my clothes. I swear, sometimes I must be as mysterious to the other Sheikah as I am to the rest of the world. The only person who still truly knows who I was is Impa. These people only know who I have become. I still do not talk much around the Sheikah, though most of them liven up and talk more than they usually do in public. Tonight's discussion just so happens to be on the same topic as the one with the group of ladies, Zelda.

I've only heard of Zelda and maybe caught a glance or two, other than that I do not know her. Another name brought up here with the Sheikah that isn't brought up or even known anywhere else is Link. But I do not know who he is either. I've told myself these things enough the past few years, I'm almost to the point that I believe them and could lie about knowing them with ease.

…Link, that was a name I hadn't thought of in a long while, well, not as to the boy Link, I mean. Darunia named his son Link after the hero of the tribe and Darunia's Sworn Brother. There has still been nothing of boy Link, no sightings, no stories of recent events, not even any rumors, only the Sheikah speaking of his actions in the past. Six years…getting close to seven now, _how many more months to go till then? Or is it weeks._ I quickly think back, _Seven years in one week. Time has flown by, well, dragged by but now that I'm looking back at it, it seems like a short time, almost like I've been waiting for something. Everyday ends in silent agony as it still hasn't come, but what am I waiting for, and why have I been waiting so long? Is there even a point to me still trying to wait for whatever is to come? At the rate Hyrule is going it looks to be best if we just wait till Ganondorf gets bored with us, or dies, or pisses off one of the Goddesses so bad that she ends his – no! That's my job, mine and mine alone. I will be the one to watch his worthless life pass from his eyes, to feel the last rise and fall of his chest, to pull my sword from his gut after twisting it and causing him hopefully even a fraction of what he has caused me…_

It must have been one hell of a show of emotions across my face for those sitting around me to glance at each other worriedly. Their movements brought me out of my dark reverie and helped me refocus on the present. Before they can say anything or ask any questions, I stand up, muttering something about not being hungry anymore and move towards a darker area of the camp and reseat myself before laying back and watching the stars.

Footsteps approach from above my head, back in the direction of the fire I just left, Jared settled to the ground beside me.

"Feeling alright there, mate?" he asks quietly

"Fine" I lied smoothly, "Just a lot on my mind right now, I think tomorrow I will go on one of my rides, I need to be moving for a little while, moving but not productive, my mind needs to clear. I would go tonight, but I don't trust myself to stay aware enough."

"So, something is wrong," He says seriously, though a small smile is fighting at the sides of his mouth to show itself.

Once again he showed that Sheikah were always more open around other Sheikah than when in public. They laughed, they cried, they joked. They acted as normal human beings. It came with the code of no secrets between those of our race and community. I was breaking one of the biggest codes every time I was around them; my mere existence broke their code. One more time wouldn't hurt though.

This is the reason I consider I consider him sort of a friend, Jared never dug too deeply, he knew I was holding back, but he didn't press it. He chalked it up to me not being raised in their ways as a child and he could respect that. He however had no such inhibitions. Being one of the only other "guys" his age, we had an extremely open talk, and awkward for me, when he was going through puberty. I didn't really care to hear at all, but what do I say, sorry, I don't want to hear about that? Talk about blown cover as a guy…

Pushing aside those thoughts I hear him chuckle to himself and grunt as he stands. "I will leave you then, know I'm open to listen if you change character and decide you actually want to talk." Looking down, he winks at me before turning and walking back to the fire.

I continue my watch of the sky. Seeing nothing there of use or interest after a couple hours, I get up and go to the tent I sleep in alone. For the first time since that dreadful day almost seven years ago, I am relaxed, my mind is at ease and I have a feeling of peace. My quieted mind quickly drifts away and sleep's warm and welcome arms embrace me.

* * *

><p>Grey mist swirls around me…<p>

A bright light hangs over my head by its not from the sun….

I hear many voices whispering, but all are too soft to hear what is being said…

The mist starts pulling away from me and I am standing in what looks to be the inner part of the temple of time, the pedestal in the room behind the main area when you walk in the doors, a beam faint blue light rises around the inner most part of the pedestal where the Master Sword used to rest, a dark mass is in the middle though I can't see well enough to see what it is. The scene looks vaguely familiar, like a dream I had many years ago

I am standing over a marking, one of the many markings that go around the inner part of the pedestal. I follow the markings with my eyes from my right counter clockwise until I notice the one right next to me on my left is glowing faintly, as is mine as, I now realize.

There is a strong presence of light to my left, almost as if the lit up marking is giving it off… before I have time to make sense of everything, I hear a louder whisper than those previously surrounding me…

"_Zelda…"_

"_Zelda…" _louder that time

"_Zelda." _Louder still.

It's coming from behind me… I slowly turn around and the bright light that was above me when I first looked around was now right before me, I could see a faint outline of a being. It looked female though I couldn't be sure.

"Yes?" I answered finally.

"_Long has it been since I first tried to meet with you here, your mind was never as it needed to be to accept my invitation. You have been troubled for quite some time?"_

"No, I…"

I feel a rebuke emit from her, I can lie to many, but not to her, she knows I have been troubled, it was a request for me to explain. Its like her emotions are being put directly inside me.

"Yes, I have. I have lost so much in a short time. I have had none to turn to; I have had to hide behind a mask for six years. All the while watching hope leave the place I used to call home, watching evil flow freely over everything I love, everything I am to protect." I laugh humorlessly, "How can I not be troubled? The only one who can truly do anything to help has disappeared or has fled or has been killed." An edge forming on my words at the hurt and loss being brought back to my mind, Link left when I needed him most, when Hyrule needed him most. He did the small, simple task willingly enough but Ganondorf got ahold of a part of the Triforce and apparently he tucked tail and ran.

"_You accuse us for picking the wrong Hero of Time? For choosing the wrong bearer of Courage?" _she leveled bluntly. Once more, it was not a true question, but an invitation to expound on my statement.

She is a Goddess! I realize in utter horror over what I just said.

"Forgive me, Goddess, for my rudeness and offence. I am merely frustrated by so little having been done to get back what has been stolen from everyone in Hyrule. Surely you have seen and know, Peace and Joy no longer reside in our lands, and we mortals can only do so much against one with such power and resources…"

The full weight and helplessness of our situation struck me in its completion for the first time. There was nothing I, the Sheikah, the Gorons, the Zoras, or even the Gerudo could do to change our fate.

"_It is as you think, there is nothing you can do as mortals against one such as Ganondorf. Only by uniting the races and divine help can you even hope to accomplish bringing Ganondorf to his end. Your task is to help the Hero of Time in his quest."_

I shake my head and reply "Link has not been seen since the night my parents were killed and Hyrule overthrown. How can I help one I cannot find?"

Her confusion swept towards me like a wave, _"Have you forgotten and lost yourself so much that you cannot even recognize the one you are searching for?" _She looks pointedly behind me and down towards the floor.

I turn and see the thing I mistook as a dark mass, was actually a person, dressed in green, sprawled out on the ground as though dead. Fear and dismay gripped at me until I saw the rise and fall of his chest and heard his deep breathing. Not dead, sleeping. His face…even while he was asleep, he had a look of determination, resolute…but still boyish, still naïve, still pure and kind hearted. The Master Sword lying on the ground still clenched within his hand.

Link…seeing him again causes the same feeling to rise in me as it did when I first heard his name. So strange, for five years I have hardly felt any emotion, only logic and analysis direct me now and now, just looking at him, emotion stirs inside me. I watch him, amazed at this for a few moments before I shut the feeling down once more and turn back to the Goddess. The feeling has been stopped, but my mind has not.

Would he still want to be my friend? I have changed so much. I am not the kind girl I once was, or anything close. Years of being Sheik have left me hard, calloused, calculated, and decisive. I may not be proud of who I have become, but I have no false misgivings. Hate, grief, disappointment and most of all, vengeance, are the things that drive me now.

"I am not sure I am the one to help with such things. As you have said, I have lost my way, I'm not even sure I want to find it again though. I would cause more problems than I would help solve. What is his task anyways?"

"_You are the bearer of Wisdom. Whether you use it or not will decide whether he succeeds or fails. Any fool can have Courage or Power, just as a Coward can have Wisdom or Power or as one who is weak can have Courage or Wisdom. If he stands alone, he will fall, it is the reason he will need you. We, the Goddesses, are the bow, he the arrow, and you the finger that steadies the aim.. Those he surrounds himself with are the cord; they will back him and help throw him into the fray they will not break under pressure. They must hold until it is his time to be released. We have given him the ability to be victorious; you must help guide him as he is launched into the fray. You must be sure that he chooses to call friends are true friends._

"_As to his task, Ganondorf has captured five of the six Sages that stand guard and take up residence in the six temples scattered throughout Hyrule. Rauru is the only one who remains free, the one who stands on your left. Link must visit each temple and destroy those of evil within the walls and release the Sage. For Ganondorf to be defeated, all the sages must be freed. _

"_The first he must visit is the Forest Temple. The Sage there is a young girl he knew when he lived in the forest with the Kokiri. You know the songs for each temple; only teach them once he has arrived so if he must leave he can return quickly. He must travel to each on his own power. He must earn the right to enter each Temple before actually going in and he must defeat those who have wrongly inhabited the Temples by his own strength for the Sages to be released"_

Her voice began fading as she finished speaking. The grey mist flowing in once again, the last thing I hear before falling into a deep sleep for the remainder of the night is

"_Meet the Hero in the Temple of Time, his seven year slumber is almost at a close."_


	3. Chapter 3: The Forming of Friendships

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**Chapter 3: The Forming of Friendships**

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><p>—<strong>Sheik's POV—<strong>

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><p>Tomorrow is the day. The day, the Hero of Time returns to Hyrule. Even with that small hope, I've dropped deeper into Sheik, locking Zelda away underneath the grief, anger, and thirst for revenge. Deep down I know it's not good, but it helps stop the pain and loss and fear. I'll deal with anything I can to not have to worry about getting hurt, or being scared or losing more than I already have. <em>I can't let Link get close to me, and he definitely can't know that I was Princess Zelda the last time we met…<em> Memories flood back unwanted and I easily shut them down.

_Sheik doesn't know Link, he doesn't know what Zelda experienced, and the weight of Hyrule isn't on his shoulders, its on Link's, I am merely here to point in the right direction and then follow and make sure he doesn't get himself killed. Anything more than that is too much. I cannot get attached to one who is on the front lines of this whole war…_

And so when I headed out the next day to the Temple of Time, my mind was set; my role is to remain apart from Link, give him guidance as needed, sometimes as requested, but I will not become attached. Attachment brings pain, there are no relationships, no friendships that will not end in pain, everyone leaves in the end whether through death, or because of a fight. I will always be around, but not always seen.

I decided to bring a shawl to wrap around my head, he was sharp as a kid, there's no telling if he would recognize Zelda under all the minor changes I've made to my appearance. I cover the bottom half of my face with it and then the left side of my face above the shawl is covered by my bangs so that all that can truly be seen is one red eye. I will step in only if he leaves the path he needs to go, or if he is in a situation where death is inevitable for him. He is, after all, Hyrule's only hope…

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><p>—<strong>Link's POV—<strong>

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><p>I come to with a slight crick in my neck and stiffness in all my joints. <em>Where am I? How long have I been asleep, the last thing I remember is a cold laugh echoing… Oh! Ganondorf, Zelda! <em>I spring to my feet and regret my quick motions immediately as I stumble to the ground again, head spinning wildly. My eyes open again and regain focus, the nauseous feeling passes over and I take in my surroundings, I'm in the Temple of Time still, _Wow, I'm surprised Ganondorf didn't do me in while I slept, where is he? _

I look around and notice something off, there is mist in here, and I'm surrounded by an almost transparent blue beam shooting from the edges of the inner part of the pedestal. _This can't be right; this feels more like a dream than what I just woke up from…_

"_Calm your mind young Hero" _a voice says behind me

I quickly turn around, my hand raising the sword that is still clenched in it. It warms as I grip it tighter. My gaze is met by the image of an elderly man standing in front of me and he seems to be glowing.

"Who are you?" I ask cautiously, my hand tightening slightly. It has begun to vibrate softly now giving off a low hum.

"_You need not fear me my dear boy, I am Rauru, one of the Sages of Hyrule, one of six who guard the temples that people from all over go to for worship and to pay respects to the Goddesses. The only temple Sage still free since Ganondorf's rise to power for I have no physical body to be captured."_

As he explained, I lowered my hand, the humming and vibrations faded slowly until it was dead silent all around.

"Where am I, and how long was I asleep?"

"_You are in the place the Sages gather when they are free and have been awakened in their time, this place is called the Temple of Light. As to your other question, there is much to be explained and you may not understand everything right now…" _

He adjusts his robes before continuing, _"When you entered the Temple of Time, placed the three Spiritual Stones and played the Song of Time, it opened the door into the inner sanctum where the Master Sword was placed as a line of defense against any evil beings being able to enter the Sacred Realm. Ganondorf bypassed all defenses by having you come in, open the door, and touch the sword. When you did that, you unknowingly and accidentally opened the passage way into the Sacred Realm which allowed him to enter and touch the Triforce."_

My head droops in defeat, _the one thing I was trying to stop and avoid, I inadvertently caused, great_… Rauru noticed my downcast face and lightly chuckled, _"All hope is not lost young Hero, though it will be difficult yet. Ganondorf did not take control of the Triforce; only the piece of Power was received unto him. He got what he was looking for, Power, though not to the fullness he was hoping for. The bearer of Wisdom will join you. Together you will be able to defeat him, without her Wisdom though, you will go astray from the path you are to walk and all hope _will _be lost._

"_Seven years have passed; the world is not the place you once knew. It is harder, meaner and colder than the one you remember, and as seven years have passed in Hyrule, they have also passed here. Look at yourself." _He states with a smile on his face gesturing to all of me.

I look down and I realize just how much bigger I have grown, I am no longer the small, scrawny and weak looking seven year old boy I used to be. My tunic had grown with me but I can tell, I didn't just sleep for seven years, the goddesses molded me! My arms are muscled, as are my legs and chest. I've grown taller and stronger than I could have hoped to on my own.

Navi flies up from the ground where I just noticed she had been standing. She looks me over a couple times before nodding and saying, "Oh yeah, I can live with this kind of partner" a small smirk playing across her face than it fell for a second and she looked herself over, "But why didn't they make me any better?"

I snort a small laugh thinking she's joking-she's not, nor did she take my laughing nicely- I apologize and scoop her up with my two hands and bring her close to my face so she is eye level with me and say, "Because they couldn't make you anymore beautiful than you already are my friend," ending with a small wink.

She laughs in her normal tinkling voice and blushes before flying up, giving me a small peck on the forehead and then she slipped under my hat to start in on a nap, apparently she can never sleep too much.

I laugh and shake my head. I wasn't too sure about having a fairy partner, but now that I've spent a few weeks with her and gotten to know her, I couldn't imagine life without her. Well, I could, because I lived it for seven years, but I wouldn't enjoy going back to it. She was like my sister, and mother, and best friend all wrapped in to one. But she was so much more than that; she was almost like another part of me, something that would leave me crippled if she ever went away.

I stop my train of though and return my focus to Rauru who watched the exchange with a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"_It is time for you to return young Hero, your destiny and calling awaits, as does one who will help guide you. This person is a part of your past, present and future. Keep them close and listen to the advice they give, you would do well to heed their warnings and keep them in confidence, even if it gets rough sometimes. _

"_Remember that you are not just defeating Ganondorf and saving Hyrule as a whole. You are to help the people of Hyrule, everyone, the Zoras, Hylians, Humans, Gorons, Sheikahs, and yes, even the Gerudos. These are the peoples who make Hyrule complete. Each race has their good points and their downfalls, but together, they cannot be conquered and each race has skills that will be essential to you and your success. Make friends of all; be kind to any who deserve it and even many of those who don't._

"_Be strong and of a Courageous heart, follow Wisdom's cry and know the limit of your Power. Remember this, and you will be fine," _He finished with a kind and encouraging smile. The grey mist swirled closer to me, the blue beam now gone and it enveloped my vision.

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><p>—<strong>Sheik's POV—<strong>

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><p><em>For the record, if anyone is keeping track, Re-Deads are a pain in the…gah, that scream is annoying.<em> I made it safely past the Castle Town Market; the only thing disturbed was my patience and the night's silence I was enjoying so much. I walked up to the doors of the Temple of Time. It feels like it was a lifetime ago that I last came here. _Possibly because 'Sheik' has now been "alive" as long as Zelda was…_ I muse humorlessly.

As I slip through the doors, there is a faint shimmer of light that flashed across the room, the inner sanctum literally glowing for a half second and then everything faded back to the black of night. No moon out tonight, this should make getting back out of the city unnoticed easier. _Not that many will be watching anyways._

I see a ball of blue light suddenly spring into existence, followed by a lantern. The boy I saw in the Temple of Light is holding it. Link, the Hero of Time has returned at long last.

I step forward quickly, quietly, trying to get a closer look at the one on who so much rested. Could he truly handle something such as this? Is he up for the sleepless nights and grueling challenges and terrifying dangers set before him as mere obstacles before the encounter that will prove fatal for one contender or the other?

Keeping to the shadows I move closer still until I am a little outside of the light given from his lantern. I make a noise and in one fluid motion, he has the lantern attached to his hip, sword in hand and shield on his arm, ready to deal death by the look on his face.

I raise my hands, palms out, chest high and slowly walk forward into the light. He looks startled at first by my appearance and then settles lower into a ready position.

"I have been waiting for you, Hero of Time." At these words he tenses, so I continue with the first thing I can think of, "When evil rules all, and awakening voice from the Sacred Realm will call those destined to be Sages who dwell in the five temples. One in a deep forest, One on a high mountain, One under a vast lake, One within the house of the dead and One inside the goddess of sand. Together with the Hero of Time, the awakened ones will bind the evil and return the light of peace to the world…"

He has shifted from a stance of ready to fight to one of cautious listening. _Where the heck did that all just come from? I was meaning to say I come in peace or something simple like that…_

I look him over, "I am Sheik, one of the survivors of the ancient race of the Sheikahs, as I can see, you are holding the mythical and legendary Master Sword. If you believe the legend, then your task is to find the five temples and free each of the sages from the evil that has taken up residence there. The first temple you must go to is the Forest Temple, You know the Sage who resides there. A young girl from your past."

His eyes flash. I can tell he knows who I am talking about and he is livid at the thought of her being captured and in danger. Hurt and fear that could have been avoided had he chosen to not have friends, oh well, to each his own decision…

I continue before he gets it in his mind to leave immediately, he has the sword, but that is not quite good enough I don't think, especially if he does not know how to use the sword properly, years of training have made me very anal-retentive about how well a person fights with a sword. "You look like you fill the role of Hero of Time, however, what other equipment do you have at this time?" I ask imperially.

"Um, a boomerang, a slingshot, some Deku nuts, Deku sticks, the Lens of Truth, some bombs and an Oca—"he chokes on the last word as though something is in his throat. I struggle to keep from laughing at him as he listed off some of the things he is calling equipment, sure that may have worked for a seven year old but not for a fourteen year old. The next thing he says pulled me up short though; "Sorry to ask this so randomly, but do you know anything about Zelda, I think she was the Princess of Hyrule, but she was one of my only friends and I haven't…heard anything…" he trailed off as he noticed I was staring at him.

_That was the last question I was expecting_, emotion threatened to rise again but I beat it back as I answer, "No. No one has seen her since the day her parents were killed by Ganondorf and she escaped from the Castle with Impa. Impa has returned to Kakariko, but she will tell no one of the Princess' whereabouts. It's for the best, the less people who know, the less likely Ganondorf will find her…

"So, back to the matter at hand; equipped as you currently are, I highly doubt you are ready for any great tasks, let alone cross Hyrule Field, safely at night with such toys."

He bristles slightly at this and almost shouts back, "I beg your pardon, but I have crossed Hyrule Field many times with only these 'toys' and a sword much less powerful than this one. I grant you though, they will not stand up much against what I suspect will come next. This is no child's errand…"

His face sets in determination, but his eyes draw my attention. The deep blue wells set into his face begin to burn with resolve and Courage. I look him over once more. Yes, that is the look of the Hero of Time. If he keeps that knowledge at the front of his mind, we might do all right.

"Alright look, if you believe all I have told you, you need to head to Kakariko Village, I've heard the grounds keeper in the town graveyard kept a secret treasure, probably ended up buried with him. I will meet you there or just outside of there after you are done. If I do not meet you, head on from there to the Forest Temple, you must free the Sage there first. Understood?" I ask, lifting my head and looking down my nose at him.

"What you told me, yes, how you know all this, how you know me, and why you are telling me this, no. Any chance you'll answer those questions oh great Sheik?" sarcasm dripping thickly from his voice as he gives a slight bow. _At least that hasn't changed with seven years of sleep_.

I smirk, not that he could see it, "Maybe later, Hero." I take a step back as I deftly grab a Deku nut from a pouch on my hip. I raise my arm and smash the Deku nut on the ground as I teleport back to the far edge of the Temple away from the doors he will be heading out of.

I stand quietly and watch as he blinks his eyes and then looks around to see where I've gone. Finally he shrugs and turns to Navi and says, "I don't know if I can trust him, but I will say this, that guy has style." I hear her laugh with her tinkling voice as they both turn and leave the Temple…

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><p>—<strong>Link's POV—<strong>

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><p>As I walk out of the Temple my mind is reeling. So much info has been thrown at me over what seems like the past couple hours. <em>One, I am the Hero of Time, indisputably. Two, Ganondorf has taken over Hyrule and driven the Royal Family out and no one except Impa has even seen Zelda. Three, I have to go to five temples and free the Sages so they can join their power with me and defeat Ganondorf. And four, I have been asleep for seven years, <em>my stomach grumbles, _oh, dang. I haven't eaten for seven years! _

As I finish this thought, I turn the corner and walk into the dark market area. I stop walking and listen…there are no lights on. Not even from behind shades and blinds in the buildings. Actually, now that I look closer, most of the buildings are run down, the fountain isn't running, but these aren't the things I am worried about, there is no sound. Not even the stray dogs barking or their nails clicking on the stone pathways…it feels…well, dead.

My eyes finally adjust to the darkness around me fully. I see dark shapes bent over, it looks like people, but they are so skinny, just skin and bones, almost like they died standing up and then shriveled.

The hair on the back of my neck stands up. I tap the side of my hat softly and Navi sticks her head out after a second.

"Yes, oh Great Hero?" she asks with an edge to her voice though it is slightly masked by grogginess. No matter what I am called or told, I know I can count on her to keep me level headed and continually nursing my pride. Though the sarcasm is a trait she picked up since she has been with me.

_Hehe, corrupting a fairy. She only used to say 'Goddesses' reverently and would never use sarcasm, let alone curse. Only a few weeks together, or would it be considered years now? Hmm, something to ponder later; the few weeks she has spent with me _awake_ have almost completed her training, as long as she doesn't treat others like this, we are good._

I smile and then return to the reason I woke her up in the first place.

"Hey dear," I say with false innocence, "Would you mind giving me some light so I can see what is going on here in the market place. Preferably over near the dark shadowy figure on the other side of the fountain." I almost add 'Pretty please" in a childish voice but I restrain myself.

With a harrumph, and slides out from underneath my hat, her light blinding me. She made it only a couple feet from me before the great shriek of a Re-Dead cuts through the night's complete silence.

_Yeah, "dead" described the air perfectly, _I think as I am paralyzed, no time to defend myself from that. As I regain control of my limbs and mouth, I call Navi back to me, seeing their face is almost as bad as hearing the shriek, and take off full tilt towards the street that leads to the gate. _Oh crap, its night time, the gates are closed! How am I supposed to get out now? Fighting things the first day back, guess it could have been worse…_

As I get closer to the gates, my fears are shown to be groundless. Apparently the Re-Deads don't care if things come in at night, not only is the gate not up, its broken in half and lying partly in the river it used to cross.

_Oh, Hyrule…I'm sorry you have been so torn while I, the one destined to protect you, have slept…_

My eyes begin to water as I leapt over the small amount of water running over the broken gate and continue running into the night. _I've already fallen behind in my duties and failed so many people…please don't hate me, Zelda…_

I don't sleep tonight, I run. Stopping only to strike down a stalchild or two who get in my way. Dawn breaks across the sky as I reach, Lon Lon Ranch. _Hopefully Malon and her father are still here and might remember me well enough to let me crash here for the night…_

Then a thought that will continually plague me as I journey and re-meet those I knew I could once call friends hits me. _Is there a reward out for my capture, will they turn me in to Ganondorf for money? _

I can still clearly remember standing in the horse pen with Malon, learning the song Epona likes so much, becoming friends with both of the females there. Revisiting the ranch anytime I crossed a large portion of Hyrule. Talon would always offer to refill an empty jar of mine with milk, I would almost always accept if I had one to spare. I hope very much they haven't changed for the wonderful people I knew them as before…

Something that surprises me as I walk up to the entrance to the ranch is I am not tired, or short of breathe. I feel refreshed, energized…maybe its nerves. Or seven years of sleep has made me immune to fatigue. _Wouldn't that be great_…

With a smile on my face, I step under the sign hanging over the pathway leading into the ranch. It doesn't look like much has changed as the buildings come into view as I round the corner, though it looks like Ingo is out putting the horses through a set of paces for the morning. _He must have gotten a promotion; he used to only clean the stables. I wonder if he'll recognize me, I never saw much of him or talked to him._

I walk to the fence and stand watching for a couple moments before shouting to get his attention, not loud enough to startle the horses, but enough of a shock to make him jump and turn quickly. He comes around from the opposite side of the horse and I feel the look of shock cross my face before I gain control once more of my expression. _He is dressed far better than even Talon ever was, and definitely up earlier too but that's nothing too new. What is going on here?_

He walks closer and eyes me arrogantly and apparently after deciding he looked better than me, he addressed me with the most prideful voice I have heard from anyone, he says, "And how may I be of service to you young man? Needing some riding time? I charge ten rupees for ten minutes of riding. That is the final deal, if you don't like it, you can use the way you came in and leave. If you do ride, and you wish to, you can ask to race me on whatever horse you can get onto. We will wager and then race."

_Apparently he doesn't remember me._ "Umm, where is Talon and Malon?" I ask him, returning his harsh glare.

"I see you haven't been around these parts for a few years, I have taken over this ranch in place of him. I work five times as hard, I am ten times as smart, and I have much better connections. The Great Ganondorf" –I force back a gag at the way he almost loving said his name- "has allowed me to run this ranch as I choose as long as I give him a gift every once in a while. Malon is still here, she works hard enough and is willing to work the horses and cook for me. But enough talk, either you pay, ride and leave, or you leave. Which will it be?"

I stare at him dumbly for a second and then answer, "I will leave for now, but I may return some other time to ride." I bow slightly as I take a couple steps backwards and turn towards the house.

I wait until he has returned to walking the horse around the fence line before opening the door to the stable and walk in. Malon is standing near the cows laying down hay her back to me.

Apparently she heard the door open and close because without turning around she says with a slightly exasperated voice, "Look Ingo, I am working as hard as I can but you must give me time to finish everything, I am only human. Only the goddesses could even hope to finish all the chores you have laid out by this early in the morning, let alone the early afternoon, please don't give me more until I have finished the normal chores…"

She trailed off at the end because she had finally stood up and turned to face me, seeing it wasn't Ingo she blushed deeply. "Begging your pardon sir, I thought you were my boss. Not to speak ill of him, but he often gives me too much to complete in a full day of working dawn to dusk…"

I offer her a wide grin, one much like I used to give when I was younger. _Yup, I'm still a kid at heart, don't blame me, I was a seven year old yesterday._

"I used to remember him being much nicer. I was terribly sorry to hear about your dad though, Malon."

Her face changes into an expression of confusion before looking me over once and then her eyes widen, "Link? Is that you?"

I once again give my wide smile, and laugh slightly "Yeah, Malon. It's me. Sorry I haven't been around for so long, I was…unavoidably detained. I must ask though, why are you still here? Why didn't you leave with your dad?"

Her eyes fall, as does her head and she looks at the ground in silence for a few moments before answering quietly, "No one has seen my dad since he left, I don't even know where he is. And I am still here to help look after the horses. If I wasn't here, I don't know if the animals would still be alive."

I know this hurts her as bad as not knowing where her father is, the animals here were her only friends until I came along… I try and lighten the mood, "Epona looks to be doing decent, I was very glad to see that." I offered with a small smile on my face looking at her hopefully.

My face falls when I see her fierce expression on her face as she whips it up to look into my eyes levelly. "She may look like the best horse ever bred, but her spirit is almost broken. Ingo allows anyone to come into the ranch and ride for ten-minute increments at ten rupees per each ten minutes you want to ride. So many riders have come in and loved how she looks, but she runs from anyone she doesn't know. The riders get upset at Ingo for having such a pretty horse in there to tempt them but then they cant ride because she wont sit still. In turn he gets angry with her, and me since I try my best to protect her.

"He would whip her while she is tethered in the stall. Thankfully there haven't been many riders come lately and all the open cuts she used to bleed from are now closed up. Even I can't come near her unless I first play the song she loves. Other than that, she is terrified of any who approach her, whether she knew them or not before."

My eyes start hurting because of how wide they have stretched during her story. _How could Ingo do this, even though I never really got to know him, he was so humble, so nice, soft spoken and just happy to have a job here…_

I set my face, I can't let this happen, Epona doesn't deserve this treatment and neither do the other animals here. And Malon and her father deserve to own this ranch, not Ingo, no matter how hard he worked. I nod to Malon, "Alright, I'm going to go have a…chat with Ingo…" _This must end today._

I offer once again a small, reassuring smile to her before walking back out the door, a plan formulating in my head…

As I near the fence once more I shout, "Hello there again Ingo, I have decided that I have nothing better to do than to pay you to ride, that mare over there with the white mane looks quite the beauty. If you would so kindly oblige me, sir." I give a small bow in his direction once more.

He grins evilly but says nothing as he walks over to the closed gate an opens it. I pull the required money from my pouch and drop it into his hand, and then subtly pulling my Ocarina from another pouch. I walk closer to Epona, once I get a distance away from her, I play the Ocarina, loud enough that she can hear but Ingo cannot. As I get half way through she takes a couple steps towards me and then stops again. I play it again after I finish the first time. Low, soothingly, not loud or sharp. She whinnies and trots over to me in an excited fashion and allows me to touch her.

She nuzzles me like she used to, I slowly move down one side of her, petting her neck, the tops of her legs, and along her back. She turns and nips softly at my hat and then shakes her head with a neigh and faces forward again. I pull myself up onto the saddle on her back and gently tap her sides and she moves forward.

Though I never rode her when she was a foal, I feel comfortable on her back. I trust her to carry me safely whether on a leisurely stroll or over treacherous terrain. I follow her movements with ease and its almost like we are moving as one, no jostling around, just smooth movement. She has now moved up to a quick trot. I let out the reins a little more and give her more freedom,

I lightly turn her towards the lower gates that are set up in the field and yell, "Yah!" with a small tap on the rump, letting out most of the reins to give her all the headway she needs and she gallops towards the gate. She clears it easily and then makes a wide turn following the fence around and lining up and running directly toward the taller gate. _Surely no horse can clear this, I may not know much about horses, but surely this isn't possible…_

She is now galloping all out and there is no reining her in without causing her injury, she is stretched full out and running like Ganondorf is chasing her with a whip of glass shards. I close my eyes shortly before we reach the gate. _Malon is going to kill me; I am about to run into a gate that is impossible to jump, riding her closest friend. Goddesses, strike me now, it will be a much kinder fate…_

And then, I'm flying. I don't know when Epona jumped, only that she did. The two of us hang in the air for a second and then she lands, much softer than I expected, though it was still quite jarring. My eyes fly open in disbelief and glance around. Ingo apparently went into the house for a short time, he returned from the main house as we rounded the corner and slowed way down. His eyes widen slightly and then his face becomes a scowl.

I direct Epona towards him and she trots cautiously over to him. Once I make eye contact with him again I say loudly, "I would like to race you sir if you would humor me, I am sure a fine horse trainer as yourself would have no trouble beating one as young as I, but I wish to try my luck all the same." I finish with a falsely self-conscious smile. _Like I don't know this horse can outrun any you have here or even any you have hidden in all of Hyrule._

He looks at me, the scowl clearing from his face and a malicious looking grin slips into its place. "Fine, the wager is 50 rupees, if you don't have that, then your time is up and you must leave the ranch, we are closing up soon."

I reach into my pocket and pull out the amount and once again drop them into his hand, his grin falling slightly as he counts and sees all the money is there. _What, too much for a kid to be carrying around or something? I've bought potions that cost more than that._

He whistles and a horse comes from the far side of the field. I walk Epona out of the gate and he leads his horse out before mounting up. He walks his horse to the outer edge, putting me near the fence. Any other horse I would have worried about this on, but I know Epona can handle the tight turns. He is actually putting me at a slight advantage, less ground to cover.

He looks over at me and counts down from three. After "One" he throws a Deku nut down and the resulting pop is the signal to start. I dig into Epona's side with a shout and she is off like a rocket, at first neck-and-neck with Ingo's horse, but quickly pulling away, she makes the first turn with no problem, the shorter length of the field and then another perfect turn.

I let her lead out on the longer straightaway, quickly pulling even farther ahead of Ingo, leaving him now a few horse lengths behind. Epona is still running just below her fastest as she pulls away from the fence some and makes the fourth and final turn, opening back out to a full run again as she goes down the longer stretch again and then we go around again. Suffice it to say, Ingo was only halfway through the backstretch by the time I reined in Epona after crossing the finish like by the gate the second time around.

I sit as he comes around, the scowl back on his face and set so firmly I am quite sure his face will never be able to revert to a normal expression. He pulls up beside me cursing, at his horse and the goddesses and the sun and anything else he can think to name, including me. I smirk a bit at that.

My expression catches his eye and he rounds on me, "Fine! I demand a rematch!"

"And what, great horse trainer, will you raise the stakes to, I must say, once you pay up, my money bag will be much fatter and heavier." Egging on his bad temper, hoping he'll take my baiting and make the offer that will make three lives much easier.

To be sure he understands just how dire his situation is I add looking away as if thoughtfully, "For it must be good enough to tempt me to race again. I'm half inclined to just leave here telling how Ingo, the great horse trainer of Hyrule, can't even beat a kid in a horse race," a taunting glint creeping into my eyes as I glance back at him through the corners of my eyes.

His face turns beet red and then a wave of purple rushed from the top of his head down to his neck. I wonder for a second if it flowed on down into his chest. Then he gets an evil glint in his eyes, "If I win, you must pay me two hundred rupees and then leave and swear to never return again." He nodded as if proud of that statement.

Before he can speak again I open my mouth to interrupt him saying, "As you stated your end if you won, I will state mine." He opened his mouth to protest but I cut him off, "Do you really think you could deny me much if you lost to me twice? No, you will be in no such place to bargain. I will keep the horse I ride if I win and you will pay me the winnings from last race. Those are my only two conditions." _Anything more will happen of its own accord, he will be kicked out from this ranch and, as Malon has proved, she can keep it running until I find her father and have him return to help her._

Though he is extremely unhappy from how the wager turned out, there was nothing he could do, but there was still a glint hidden just below the surface. He was planning something. I pat Epona soothingly on the side of the neck as Ingo draws his horse up even with mine. He counts down once again but this time at "One" he kicks his horse and then throws the Deku nut on the ground in front of Epona, apparently trying to startle her.

Epona is off at the crack of the Deku nut needing little encouragement from me, the sound and flash from the Deku nut did nothing to startle her and by the time we rounded the first two turns, we were already neck-and-neck with Ingo. Our sudden appearance between him and the fence startles him to the point his horse slows down slightly, I lean into Epona and talk loud enough for her to hear, soothing her and urging her faster.

We won't just beat him again; we will take his pride, along with the ranch he stole out from underneath good, honest people. He deserves so much worse, but I am not the one to give out the punishment. This will have to do until Hyrule is righted once again and he can be tried before the Royal Family, or judge or who ever takes care of these kinds of things.

Once again we pass the finish line the first time and slowly bear down on Ingo and his horse that still have not fully recovered from the scare. We make it all the way around and cross the finish line just as Ingo is making the second turn on his second lap. His face did what I considered the impossible and no longer has any trace of the scowl I thought would be a permanent adornment there. I wait for him to finish the ride around the impromptu track, but instead of coming up beside me, he rides over to the gate in between the two buildings, gets off his horse and then closes and locks the gate with a ill-looking grin spread across his face.

He looks over at me and shouts, "Sure, you beat me fair and square and you can keep the horse, but you will never leave this farm!"

I look at his taken aback, _great; he found a loophole and caged me with it…_ I look around me and my eyes fall on the tall gate in the fenced in field I thought Epona wouldn't be able to clear, _or fenced me in rather…_ I grin back at him and chuckle slightly.

"If I was on a normal horse, you blocking that gate would be a problem, but let me ask you, who is guarding the walls surrounding the ranch?" I call back enthusiastically.

His face skewers in confusion, then he laughs, "Right, very funny, as if a horse could clear that, you know how many of the best riders have tried to clear the tall gate inside the fenced area? All failed, Malon was hard pressed to help them recover."

"Ah, right you are, but I am on no normal horse, this is Epona, and I have cleared the gate you speak of, well she has, I was holding on for dear life with my eyes closed." I pat Epona affectionately on the neck; _no one can claim that I don't give credit where credit is due._

Ingo's face is overtaken by a look of awe and then fear; his only threat was quickly becoming empty words.

I give a one fingered salute, turn Epona towards the wall and tell her "Get us outta this hellhole girl," and tap her sides with my feet. She builds up to full speed and then launches herself gracefully over the wall, landing just as gracefully on the other side. "Well done girl, well done," I say, patting her neck once more and she settles into a comfortable trot in the direction of Kakariko. _Bet Sheik wasn't expecting me to get a horse, boy he'll be surprised. He seems familiar, like Zelda did, but different. Then again, a lot of the people I've run into have felt like that, almost like I've known them before now, just as different people with different names and in different places, but that can't be possible._ I shake my head and set my gaze forward, Kakariko, here we come. My stomach growls again, man, still haven't eaten yet…


	4. Chapter 4: The Expected Returns

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**Chapter 4: The Expected (and Unexpected) Returns**

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><p>—<strong>Sheik's POV—<strong>

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><p>I decided it would be best for me to stick around in the Temple before starting in on trailing him. <em>Surely he can make it out of Castle Town without getting into trouble. There haven't been any patrols here for years, only the Re-Deads—OH, that's not good, He's been asleep since they've moved in—<em>a shriek breaks the otherwise still night, _damn, that's not good. Can he do nothing on his own? It should be dark enough for him to slip by unnoticed, even the Re-Dead need at least some light. Tonight is the new moon._

I race out of the doors and around the corner to watch as a ball of blue light bounces around in the sky for a few seconds, then zips back towards a figure, slightly blurred by the night, and disappears under fabric. _At least he had the mind to get her light put back out._

I listen closely and hear his feet pounding the stones as he races towards the front gate. No more screams come and I hear the soft thuds as he races over the drawbridge. _Thank goodness. He's not an idiot after all._

I shake my head in a slightly relieved yet disappointed, if he had been, I could have made fun of him a lot easier. I'll have to find something else to nag him about. He didn't seem too happy about being called "Hero" so that is a must for sure. I smile to myself as I jump lightly from one broken rooftop to another, making sure I don't step on any weakened beams or pieces of roof.

I had come back the first year after the King and Queen died to look for any signs of Link or to sit, and brood, to wish things were different, to pray for my chance at revenge. A life had been stolen, though it may not have been wanted the most at the time, it was still a good life, nice, simple, free. Now I'm bound, and only one person can give me release. Well, his bitter and painful end rather…

I make a final leap from the roof to the ramparts and then over to land lightly on the other side of the river. I see no sign of Link, no sound of breathing or footfalls. I scan the horizon, or at least as far as the dark will allow me to see. _Maybe I should have stayed closer, there's no telling if he went to Kakariko or towards the Kokiri Forest or somewhere else entirely. Though I may look and act like a guy, but I doubt I will ever be able to fully think like a guy…_

Behind me, there is the sound of ground being broken, a rustling of sorts and the clattering of dry bones and muscle-less joints click together. I draw my sword and, without turning around, strike at the level where the connection between neck and head on a stalchild would be and completely dislodged the skull from the rest. It fell over and laid still.

I continue looking straight out from the gate and see a small light randomly burst into being in the night's air. _So, he went straight. Has he not stopped running? Please don't tell me the Hero of Time and bearer of Courage is scared of the Re-Dead. Annoying, yes, scary? Only when one sees you before you see it and the scream gets you. Come on, hero; give me some good dirt to tease you with._

I run quietly after him, _the only thing in this direction is Lon Lon Ranch, wonder if he knows anyone there, or used to know there rather. Ingo turned bad some years back and stole the ranch from under Talon and his daughter. Malon is our age, maybe he knew her before Zelda sent him for the Spiritual Stones. _

_I wonder if he likes her, I bet I could bug him about it, even if there isn't anything between them. That's what guys do to each other isn't it? _I grin mischievously, _yeah, I'll follow him and see what all happens._

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><p>Unfortunately, I couldn't reach the ranch by dawn, and by this time, I'm worn out from running for so long. <em>Goddesses, what did you feed that boy while he slept? I haven't seen this much energy in a newborn foal. Nor this stamina from a well conditioned Sheikah. <em>

I decide to lay down for the night, I start a small fire with some simple magic, its bright enough to keep stalchildren away, they are the only ones to worry about at night on Hyrule Field, and warm enough to sooth some of my already sore muscles. I feel like _I_ could sleep for seven years now.

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><p>I woke a couple hours after the sunrise and continued to the ranch, muscles sore and tight, <em>note to self; never challenge that kid to a race. <em>I still had an hour or so of walking left before I reached the ranch. It didn't look too rundown, but I could tell there was some disservice with different details; the paint was chipping on the sign, some of the logs standing upright as a wall around the front entrance were worn down from stalchildren gnawing on it, and there was dead grass sticking up from in between said logs. It still looked to be a somewhat welcoming place though.

Instead of walking in, I went around the side, scaled one of the far walls to the south side of the ranch and then dropped quietly, unnoticed inside. Link was walking over to Ingo with a hard look of resolve set on his face, _doesn't look like this conversation is going to go nicely for Ingo, no personal experience to pull from for it, but that isn't a look I want to be on the receiving end of._

Ingo shrinks back some, I turn and climb to the top of the tower like structure near the southern wall and then lay on my stomach on the side away from the ranch and peak my head over the top just enough to watch.

Link is now inside the fence and walking cautiously towards a horse with a white mane. "White Mane" the older ones called her, _how creative…_ I heard stories of a horse here that couldn't be ridden, even some Sheikah came here to ride once but none could calm the horse enough to get close. I may not have known him well or very long, but I feel like seven years of sleep wouldn't help him do better than people with _twenty years _of _practice _and _experience,_ call me crazy, but I doubt it.

As he passed Ingo though he had pulled something out of his pouch. He brought it slowly to his lips and then is fingers began moving, it was the Ocarina of Time. _Did the Goddesses teach him a horse taming song?_ I think incredulously.

To my complete surprise, the horse dances forward slightly, the stops again. Link plays the song again and the horse dances closer and he puts the Ocarina away and works down one side of the horse. He must have already known the horse because now it greets him like a friend, close companion. He gets on and rides for a while, looking completely at ease. Even I am impressed, as I know most of the Sheikah would be also.

It was definitely the horse from the stories they told, but these two look like they were created for each other.

Not much of interest happened for a time, though it looked like Link thought he and the horse were going to crash at one time and had accepted his fast approaching death. The look on his face was priceless when the horse cleared it.

Ingo returned and apparently Link challenged him to a race. One he won with ease. There was just no competing with this horse. Ingo was furious and demanded a rematch; I could hear his curses and challenge clear over where I was hidden. His red and purple face was also clear to be seen by the world as Link made fun of him from the looks of it.

They lined up again and Ingo cheated by starting before signaling to Link. It still wasn't long before Link and "White Mane" caught up to him. As soon as they passed Ingo he got startled, as did his horse and they came almost to a complete stop, Link and his horse flying past unperturbed.

_Time for some payback? I think so. _ I slid up a little farther, grabbed some of my own Deku nuts from my pouch and skillfully lobbed them down near the feet of the horse. It went stiff legged for a couple seconds, _hmm, never knew horses could do that_, and then it took off like a bat out of hell and went wildly around the two turns as it came to it and zigzagging on the straightaways; Ingo holding on for dear life.

Link and his horse made it around once more before Ingo and his made it into their second turn the second time around. I ducked back so I could be sure I wasn't seen after I saw Link cross the finish line. I looked over again when I heard Ingo shouting something again.

The gate leading from the horse field was closed and locked with Ingo standing behind it with his arms crossed. Most of the conversation I couldn't make out, but then Link was turning his horse and riding flat out straight towards the southern wall I was nearby. _What is he planning? I know he cleared the gate in the inner field, but…this is a wall, this is a tall wall, its at least another foot higher than that gate…please don't be dumb enough to try it…_

But it wasn't Link pushing the horse with cries or kicks, he was leaned forward as if whispering to her, a look of fierce determination set on his face, a look that, to my continued surprise, was mirrored as much as possible on a horse's face. _Yeah, they were made for each other. No horse can have that kind of expression other than the one that belongs to Link._

They cleared it easily, landing perfectly on the other side. A pang of jealousy shot through me. _Damn, that's a fine horse. A lucky one to, her rider is the Hero of Time._

I turn back to the ranch; Ingo is on his knees head in his hands, crying. _Goddesses, that man is annoying._ I shake my head and then half drop, half slide down the wall of the building I was on top of, and then climb back over the wall, unseen once again.

Link is now riding towards Kakariko Village, on one of, if not the fastest horses Hyrule has ever seen, _and what am I stuck with?_ _Oh yeah, that's right, my own two feet._ I start that direction anyways. _Better late than never though right? I'll meet him after he gets the hook shot from Damp_é's_ grave._

I walk for thirty minutes until a thought strikes me and I almost face-palm myself. _Why am I walking when I can teleport?_ I shake my head as I realize my stupidity and then teleport into the graveyard at the back of Kakariko.

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><p>—<strong>Link's POV—<strong>

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><p>Kakariko has changed some. There is no Hyrule guard here now, the boss guy is gone and the tree has changed quite a bit. I left Epona in Hyrule Field to graze, I needed to remain as unnoticed as possible, and coming in with a horse that looks as good as Epona would do anything but help.<p>

I quickly walk through the village and back to the entrance to the graveyard. No kid here to stomp about during the day. Such a sad thought and memory…He had such fun and was honest about keeping the graveyard in order. Dampé, he was a kind-hearted old man, and he loved his job. His face looked strange and his voice sounded odd, but his eyes were always kind, warm, and welcoming.

I scan the headstones throughout the graveyard until I find his, then, I just stand there for a moment. I pay my respects, and then look around. _So I'm here, now what?_ I walk around the headstone a couple times and see some marks on the ground behind the stone slab. _Maybe its like the composition brothers there I had to touch the front of it?_

I reach out with my hand and press it against the stone…nothing…I shift my weight so I can move into more of a kneeling position but as I do, the headstone slides backwards and I find myself tumbling forward, down into the gaping hole that was covered be the stone. _Great, hope there aren't more Re-Dead in here like there was in the Royal tomb at the top of the hill here. Boy was that a nasty surprise._

The one I got at the bottom of this hole wasn't nasty, but it was probably more of a surprise. As I regained my bearings, I look up to see Dampé floating just in front of me with a glowing halo just above his head. _I always said he was a nice guy under the scary mug_…_this is just the proof_.

As I meet his eyes, his face contorts into a smile, not menacingly, but with a twisted face like his, it can only be called contorting, however, it reaches his eyes and they light with a fire no one had seen in them for many years before he passed.

He laughed and asks "Light on your feet young fella? I may not look it, but I'm confident in my speed, Let's race. Follow me if you dare!"

And with those words, to took off floating backwards his hand flying lazily to the side. Once I recovered from my initial shock of seeing him and the random and abrupt topic, I took off after him. I quickly found out the arm flying 'lazily' off to the side wasn't as innocent as I first thought as a tongue of fire flew off from it and alighted on the ground in the middle of the pathway. I had to redirect myself to not be burned. I bumped into the wall harshly and I hear his light-hearted cackle echo off the walls around me.

_I'm playing a game of cat and mouse in a tomb of the old graveyard keeper. And I thought having to carry the Zoran princess on my shoulders through a Fish God's belly was weird. Is this some sort or hidden humor the Goddesses are enjoying, who can find the most random and weirdest thing for Link to do to get rewards?_

I chase Dampé's ghost for what seems like half an hour, taking this turn and then that, dodging fireball after fireball and going through rooms as dark as a moonless night only his halo giving light to his form. After a countless turns, minor burns, bruised shins and arms from running into things I couldn't see or found were in my way while dodging a fireball, he stopped and hovered over a platform. I walk up to him as he laughs like a young boy who just discovered the best game in the world.

"You did well, and you are quite speedy indeed. I live here now, if you come visit me again some time, I may have another gift to give you. But for now take this one. Oh and be careful on your way back out." He laughed once more and then turned and disappeared in a puff of blue smoke. I look at the platform under where he was just floating and watched as a chest appeared. I open it and find in the bottom, wrapped in soft fabric a strange looking device. It is like an arrow attached to a handle with a spring connecting the two.

There is a trigger on the handle, I squeeze it, and with a clicking sound the arrow like tip shoots out, startled, I release the trigger and the end comes whizzing back through the air and settles once more in a locked position. I play with it a bit longer before looking around. _Seriously? He left me with nothing to go on to get back out? I could end up joining him here as a spirit if I don't get out soon. I _still_ haven't eaten yet!_

I turn and look at the four open archways on each of the walls surrounding me…_they all look the same to me…_ I decide to resort to the fail-proof way of choosing when you don't have any clue how to chose, by closing my eyes and spinning in a circle, stopping only when I get too dizzy to keep going.

Half stumbling in the direction I ended up facing, I make it through the archway and my vision goes black before a room lights up before me. A large box is in front of me; it has the symbol from the Temple of Time on it. My mind still twisting on its self, I pull the Ocarina of Time out and place it to my lips, willing my mind to concentrate long enough to play the tune.

After I end the song, I reopen my eyes, head clear and path cleared now as well. _I'll make it out of this grave yet!_

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><p>By the time I get topside again, the sun is slowly but noticeably sinking lower in the sky. <em>Almost a day has passed since I woke up. I don't know what the temples hold for me yet, but I feel like I still have a ways to go…<em> My stomach growls louder than it had the past few times, _okay, so food first, then the quest. Ha, I doubt Sheik expected me to get the hook shot this fast. Acting as if I cannot take care of myself well enough to cross Hyrule Field at night. He has a lot to learn about me if he thinks I'm that weak. _x stomach grumble x _Alright, alright, I hear you, I'm going!_

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><p>—<strong>Sheik's POV—<strong>

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><p><em>Though I will never admit it to him, or anyone else for that matter, I am impressed, no matter how slightly, that he got in and out of the grave in the amount of time that he did. Dampé and I had enjoyed a talk a few months before he passed, he always said there was something special about Link, he could just tell. But he told me, that if I ever met Link, to tell him to go to his grave, Dampé had no heirs in life, so he wanted to give his highest treasure to Link. He wrote it off to being old and figuring Link was the only one nice to him, but if he truly had the hook shot in his possession, then it was divine intuition he felt strongly connected to Link. Of that I had no doubt. <em>

I had just teleported into the graveyard when Link went tumbling into the hole. At first I panicked, but then I saw it was Dampé's grave and that calmed me some. _I should know by now, when Link goes for something, he does it head first_…I removed myself a ways from the hole and settled in to wait under some ground brush. I dozed lightly for a short while until I heard a voice echoing up from the ground. At first I thought night had fallen and the Poes were playing a trick on me, but when I realized it was coming from Dampé's grave, I knew Link was on his way out.

Link was now geared to a little better level, not much-but a little, than when he first woke back up after the seven year snooze, _was that really only a day ago?_ _ At this rate he could be done in a matter of weeks!_ Wishful thinking of course, but still it sounded nice.

Next stop for him will be the Forest Temple; I'll need to meet him there. _Ooh, minor problem though, I don't think I can go into the Kokiri Forest or lost woods without being invited…Guess I'll just have to travel on horseback with him. My horse, Nightscream, is not quite as fast as White Mane, but he is definitely quicker than my feet._

By this time, Link had already gone past my hiding place and headed back into the village, his stomach growling something fierce. Chuckling, I stand up and follow him back at a distance.

Once back in the main town area, I take to the roofs, over take him and pass by, heading towards the only restaurant in town, I drop to the ground, walk in, and sit down at a table before he could turn the corner probably. Sure enough, almost a minute later he opens the door and steps in.

I keep my head tilted down and directed away from the door. I hear him half scoff and his footsteps head in my direction. They stop to one side of me and I lazily turn and lift my head to meet his eyes, "Care to sit down, hero?"

"You know, I do have a name Sheik." he returns flatly,_ defensive already, yeah; he will be a fun to mess with._

"Hmm, yeah, I know, sorry I didn't say the full thing, Hero of Time, I'll make sure I do that from here on out, Hero of Time." putting more emphasis on the word hero than the other words.

He groans and rests his head on his hands. I smirk, unseen by him, and roll my eyes. "Cheer up, and figure out what you want to eat. Half the people in here are looking at you like you're a wild animal in disguise because of the noises coming from your stomach. I mean good grief, it's not like you haven't eaten in seven years or anything" I chuckle lightly at the end as his head shoots up with an astonished and embarrassed look and then looks around to see if anyone else heard. "No worries, hero. No one listens to a Sheikah's conversation. Not that they could hear much over your stomach, but all the same. Anything is good here." He blushes deeper and turns his face down a little more again. _Too damn easy, it's almost not fun, minus the fact that he is the Hero of Time and he is extremely self-conscious. _

After we pay, we both exit the restaurant together and head towards the front gate of the village. It's almost like unspoken consent that we had a break, now it was time to get down to business. I break off from him and stop by the stables shortly and grab Nightscream's reigns and then hurry to meet up with Link at the front gates. No conversation passes between us until we reach where he says he left Epona, but she is nowhere to be found. He looks across the horizon before shrugging his shoulders and pulling out the Ocarina of Time and playing a song that makes me think of freedom, loyalty, and trust. A neighing and the sound of hooves clopping over the grassy field alert us to her approach, she seems joyful, prancing, as she did back at the ranch. _That must have been the song he played to approach her, to calm her. It is her song._

He moves to stand to the side of her head, turns around and faces me, "Sheik, I'd like you to meet Epona, My horse." He said beaming brightly and rubbing the other side of Epona's head by reaching under her neck and up around with his hand pulling her head closer to him.

_Yes, these are two friends that should never be separated, like Link and Navi…hmm, seems there's a common denominator here. Is this why Link must befriend all the races of Hyrule, because he just fits with everyone so well that it should be against nature almost to separate them?_

_He is an interesting young man, that fact cannot be doubted or disputed. What kind of future do you offer to Hyrule, Hero of Time?_

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><p>—<strong>Link's POV—<strong>

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><p><em>I know Sheik is the guy who told me where to start and to go to Kakariko to get the Clawshot, but I am still not too sure if I trust him fully yet. When he asked if he could ride along to the Kokiri Forest, I was not sure what to say at first. I didn't even think anyone besides the Kokiri could live in that forest. I know normal Kokiri can't leave, but seeing as how it took me ten years to get a fairy rather than at birth, which is the usual, I guess I've never been quite like the normal Kokiri. Of course I ultimately agreed. I mean, really, if I can't trust him, I probably can't trust anyone.<em>

The ride to Kokiri with him riding beside me and talking was nice and enjoyable so I guess I can't complain much on that either._ Not to mention the fact I feel like there is much more to this than I fully know or understand right now. But I can ask Saria once I meet up with her. Surely she knows more that she can tell me._

We did not really talk about anything of importance. I asked about his background and he told me some, he had a rough life growing up, but it sounds like he is really good at fighting. Maybe he can show me some pointers and teach me some things with sword fighting, I never had a real teacher or anything. I picked up a sword and just started trying to kill the monsters in any way I could. I mentioned as much and he offered to duel with me if we got the chance.

I decided that we could take a bit longer on the trip to Kakariko since it was already pretty dark by the time we really got into Hyrule Field so I suggested we stop for the night and build a camp. He did not look too tired but I was slightly starting to drift some, I asked when the last time he slept was and he told me the night we met and then a light nap just before I came out of Dampé's grave.

We ride a bit farther just so we can get under some trees and have a place to tether her horse, I don't take the time or trouble to tether Epona, she will come back when I call anyways. We set up our tents and then build a small fire. The dinner we ate not too long ago was still settling comfortably in our systems so we sat and talked a bit more. He looked over at me after a couple minutes of comfortable silence with a slight gleam in his eye.

"What do you say we spar for a bit, see what you know and what we need to work on?" He said, excitement leaking into his voice slightly. I nod, stand up and pull my sword out of its sheath. He laughs, "Um, how about for the first few times we just use some training poles. There is nothing wrong with the Master sword, but I am afraid that if you miss, there is a good chance either of us could get hurt pretty bad from it. Poles for now until we get more used to each other's styles."

"Great, so then we can know what each other's weak points are and have an even deadlier chance of hitting each other. Great idea, Sheik." I say back with humor coloring my tone. He shakes his head and throws a wooden pole to me over the fire. I slide my sword back into its sheath and then catch the pole with my other hand.

We move over a couple steps where we are still near the fire so we have good lighting but not too close to need to worry about stepping in it as we dueled. I spin the pole in my hand and try to get a feel for it before stepping forward quickly and starting off the spar with a strong vertical strike. Sheik blocks the blow easily with his pole turned sideways using both hands to hold of my attack before pushing me back and following through with a slash that would have caught me if I hadn't spun at the last moment. After trading a few more blows, it became blatantly obvious that fighting the evil monsters in the Great Deku Tree and the ones I encountered while trying to retrieve the Spiritual Stones is very different from sparring with another person, especially a Sheikah. I only landed a couple hits that could be called decent but I ended up walking away, or maybe limping away would describe it better, with more than a few bruises and sore muscles.

Just from the short time we sparred, he made all sorts of comments to egg me on and then other times he would offer small pieces of critiques for me to better my stance or feints. Once or twice he even held up a hand and walked through a couple of swings to help me learn to get rid of some bad habits I had formed.

Sheik praised me for doing as well as I did, his almost arrogant tone suggesting I did far better than he was expecting. It was not a tone of condescension or an attitude of him being better than me, even though he is, but it was a challenge. A challenge for me to get better so that every time we sparred, he would be surprised at how well I was doing. The look in the eye I could see was proof enough of that. He wouldn't let me slack off just because I was able to kill some monsters easily. He would push me further and harder than I would on my own. If I had had a brother growing up, I would imagine him being like this, encouraging, but also making fun of me for different things.

As we finished up, Sheik looks at me and his shoulders slump some in exhaustion, he may have more techniques and skills with fighting, but I have far more stamina and we had been trading hits for almost two hours. I tell him I will take first watch and to tell me when he woke up next so he could take over for me to get an hour or so. He looks like he is about to argue but then slumps farther and accepts. I chuckle to myself as he half stumbles to his tent and rolls in. I move over closer to the fire and go back over our fight in my head.

Since we just finished, it is very fresh in my head and I am able to go over every block and landed hit that went between us. I pay close attention to the memory of how Sheik moved for each hit and block and the things he told me to practice. There was a certain level of grace to his moves, almost like a dance. The pole is still in my hand so, as I replay the spar in my head, I stand with my eyes closed and slowly walk through the stances he had and any movements he made during the fight.

The more I duplicate the stances and strikes, my mind clears and my body rests. I am moving slowly enough that it is almost like a stretching exercise except I am working to memorize how the muscles feel as I move them. I have no idea how long I am doing this, but my concentration and practice is broke as I hear movement in Sheik's tent and open my eyes to see him slowly climb out of bed. The sky had slowly begun to lighten as the sun had just broken the horizon. He offers to take over the watch but before I answer, I mentally check myself and find I am refreshed and relaxed. I shake my head and tell him,

"Nahh, it's time to mount up and finish the journey to the first temple." He must have heard or seen something that gave him pause because he didn't say anything like he was looking like he might. He gave a short nod and then climbed up on his horse as I mounted Epona. We turned our horses towards our destination and started off once more.

As we come into view of the tree trunk that leads to the bridge that crosses into the Kokiri forest, a feeling of nostalgia and anticipation takes a death grip on my gut. _When I left last time, it was while being called a murderer; not of another Kokiri, but of our greatest friend and protector, the Great Deku Tree. _

_He was poisoned before I got there by Ganondorf. By the time I reached him he was already mostly gray. I went inside and killed all the evil creatures, but it wasn't enough, he still died. He was the one who sent me to the princess in the first place with the first Spiritual Stone. One of the three used with the Ocarina of Time to open the door to the Sacred Realm._

_When I went back past Mido, the leader in the Kokiri forest, he accused me of being a murderer and told everyone else that I killed the Great Deku Tree. The only one who didn't think I did it was Saria. She gave me my first ocarina and taught me a song that let me talk to her whenever I was lonely or needed help before I left the forest. She was my first friend, and Zelda after that._

_Will Mido recognize me? Will anyone else? Will Saria stop being my friend because I've grown up? True Kokiri never grow up. Everyone in the Kokiri forest have been the same age for as long as I can remember, they never grew an inch or day older. They were their seven year old selves the whole time I was growing up. That means I'm not a true Kokiri, because I've grown taller, and I'm seventeen now. I was ten before I left, I realized, but I was the same size as all the other Kokiri before I left…_

I look down and play with Epona's mane between my fingers…_Am I ready for what they will say and think? …. Yes. _I decide resolutely, _I have a job I need to do, they can think and say what they want to, maybe some day I can come back and explain everything to them. I couldn't right now even if I had time because I don't even know the answers to my questions, let alone theirs. It wasn't just their bodies that were like children, their minds were also, though Saria always seemed to have age-old wisdom stored in her mind…they wouldn't be able to comprehend many of the things I would try to explain. And even if I cannot answer all their questions, if they ask, I will explain what I can._

Though I had set my mind on how to react, it didn't change much, I was still worried, still scared. My hands twisted in Epona's mane more before untwisting and then twisting once more. I see Sheik glancing at me every once in a while out of the corner of my eye.

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><p>—<strong>Sheik's POV—<strong>

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><p><em>Is it just me, or is Link getting more tense and fidgety the closer we get to the hollowed out tree trunk we are heading for? And how the hell has he not dropped from exhaustion? We dueled for almost two hours and when we stopped he looked tired, maybe not worn like I was, but slightly tired but then this morning, he looked as refreshed as he did when I first saw him. If I did not know better, I would almost say he slept during his watch, but I doubt he would do that, plus, he still had his pole in his hand with a thin layer of sweat across his forehead.<em> As we moved, I noticed we had been heading in a straight line towards the tree trunk ever since it came into view a few minutes ago. _Its almost like he is struggling on whether to be excited or not._

_When we were kids, we never really talked about his past. We didn't have much time to talk about anything other than the Spiritual Stones and stopping Ganondorf really and now that I think about it, we never spoke but that once. I wonder what he went through as a kid. Nothing so bad as having your kingdom overthrown and your parents killed, sor example, but it might be something painful to remember…_

He's looking down, playing with Epona's mane, _yeah, he is definitely anxious about something. Guess all I can do is sit and wait to see how it plays out. Hopefully he didn't leave under bad circumstances, though Kokiri aren't supposed to ever grow up so maybe they wont recognize him. Hmmm, that's another strange thing about him. He looked like a Kokiri and had a fairy when I first met him, and he still meets both statements to this day minus the fact he is taller than any other Kokiri I know, but he grew up…how is that possible? On top of that, he left the Forest, Kokiri aren't supposed to be able to do that either. _My mind stops after this internal question, I work to clear my mind and focus on important matters.

As we continued to move closer I realize I didn't check in with Impa like I wanted to while in Kakariko, _although that is mostly Link's fault; I wasn't expecting him to get in and out so quickly_. However, a visit with her should be made soon, I'll go with him to the entrance and then say I got an urgent message from Impa that I need to go attend to. I'm still not sure how to tell him I cannot go into the temples with him.

We dismount at the fallen, hollowed out tree trunk. Link looks over his shoulder at me, opens his mouth for a second and then clamps it back shut and steps into the tree trunk. He disappears into the thick darkness. I move forward, tense when the darkness surrounds me and then quickly take a couple more steps forward and bump into Link. He has a bit of a relieved look on his face as I pass through. _What, did he think something would happen if I tried to come in?_

I shoot a questioning glance at him but he shakes his head and keeps on walking across what I now see is a bridge with another hollow tree in front of me. This time I just keep walking and don't hesitate. When I come through the other side, I am amazed.

There are multiple monsters running freely from one area to another. Things filled to the top with evil intent, I look around, saddened, the grass in most places has died, there is debris scattered everywhere from things the monsters have torn up, but my reaction to the sight is nothing like Link's.

Link is visibly shaking, trembling from head to toe with anger almost rolling off of him tangibly. Well, he was for the couple seconds he was standing still. Within an a couple moments of me coming to a stop to take in everything, Link was moving again, sword in hand and shield on his arm and an enraged battle cry at his lips, moving at a speed I didn't think was possible for anyone.

I'm still not entirely sure how he did it, but as he ran forward, he found the straightest path that let him run between a huge mess of monsters and hack at the evil creatures on either side of him. He would run until he had no more room to run, and then he would turn around and find another path to run. In a matter of minutes, he destroyed every monster and anything that was defiling the nature of his former home with only a few passes down and back.

He made glanced around the village, satisfied he had cleared them out, he then began picking up bits and pieces of broken things, putting them back where I suppose they once belonged. He then went and knocked on every tree stump that had an opening, he called in with a friendly greeting and, slowly, a handful of children came out, blinking in the sunlight. Their eyes widened at the sight of him, going over in great detail his clothing. I looked back and forth between them and he, his clothes were an exact replica of theirs other than the fact his clothes were so much bigger.

Some looked at him with distrust, but most thanked him. One of the boys looked at him, got a weird look in his eye and then walked off with his nose in the air. _Who knew one so small could strut so big_ I wondered to myself, _if he were half as big as he walked, he would tower over Link and I._

I could see a rush of pain flow over Link's eyes. There was some tough history buried deeply there, but it needed to be left for later. I catch Link's attention and nod meaningfully to him. He nods back in understanding. He dismisses himself, promising he'd be back later to talk to them and then leads the way up a hill to another hollow, fallen tree.

Here, he turns around to me and says seriously, "You need to stay close. We are about to go into the Lost Woods. I know these woods better than I know myself and if you get separated from me, you will die. People know not to come here if they aren't invited or led. Stay close and if you get slowed or caught in something, tell me immediately."

There was something like reverence lying behind his words. These woods were his friends growing up, his safety zone, his escape plan, but he knew they could be deadly. I nod in understanding with due solemnity taking a step closer to him.

He nods once and then turns and enters the tree trunk, grabbing my hand for a second and pulling me through with him. As we come through the other side, I can see why he made such a big deal about staying close. There is something welcoming about the feel the trees give off, but at the same time they are almost unforgiving. Its like they say, "Come, do what you need to do and then leave. Do not waste time, do not mess around, and do not come if you don't need to."

I readjust my tunic subconsciously and try to wrap it tighter around me.

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><p>—<strong>Link's POV—<strong>

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><p><em>Home.<em> This feeling washed over me, not the moment I stepped foot in the Kokiri Village, no, I grew up there, but I was raised in the Lost Woods. It was almost as strong as the feeling I get when I am in the Temple of Time. The only other place I felt welcome like I do here and the Temple was during the short time I was around Zelda. These trees are like my family though. They know all the ins and outs to me; they know my fears, hopes, dreams, and my questions. I spent more time in here than anywhere else in the village combined, this was the first place I felt I actually fit and belonged.

There was no requirement or standard or status quo. I didn't have to have a fairy to be welcomed by the trees; I didn't have to have a fairy to play with the Skull kids. I didn't have to know who my parents were, or why they left me here, to walk through the tree trunk and wander the woods all day. No, I was welcome just as I was. Nothing special needed.

I was serious about what I told Sheik, this forest was dangerous to those who don't know it, to those who don't belong. That's why I told him to stay close, because I do know it, I do belong, here more than anywhere else in all of Hyrule aside from the Temple of Time.

The "usual spot", the meeting place Saria and I would go to after a particularly hard day for me of ridicule from Mido or just one of those days I didn't want to be around people, just so happens to be where the Forest Temple is. Maybe we were both drawn to it unknowingly, she because she is the sage, me because I am the one to free the Sages so they can be awakened…

Long story short, I could have walked us there with my eyes closed.

Only one thing threw me for a loop for a second. Mido was guarding the only path that led to our meeting place… He was sitting cross-legged on the ground until Sheik and I walked up. He got a look on his face, stood up, and crossed over to me in an angry manner. Shoving a finger as high as he could reach on my chest accusatorily.

"What are you? Though you wear Kokirish clothing, you can't fool me! I promised Saria I would never let anyone go through here" He finished boldly; for one half my size, he was very brave.

Sheik bristled beside me and was about to fly off his handle, I looked over and motioned with my hands to calm down. I look back to Mido, half glad he doesn't recognize me, half saddened that he didn't. I pull out the Ocarina of Time and play Saria's song. He and I both know only those Saria considers close friends know this song.

Mido's eyes widen as he hears me play "That melody! Saria plays that song all the time! Do you..do you know Saria?" I nod slowly once.

"Okay, I trust you…" He starts to turn away and let us through, but stops for a second and looks at me again. "When I see you," he starts slowly and then looks at the ground, "I don't know why but I remember…him…." He looks back almost wistfully with a sad look in his eyes before turning once more and walking away.

I don't have time to ask or find out why he had that reaction, but my curiosity is piqued to be sure. He would remember me in a different way other than hate or disgust? The only times he was nice to me before was when Saria was around and had told him to be nice. Even then it was touch and go at best… Maybe he and I need to talk after I get Saria free from the evil that infested her temple, even if it is just to let him know he was right all along, I'm not a Kokiri…

I work to get myself refocused and take a step forward, once again grabbing Sheik's arm and dragging him along behind me, darkness envelops us for a second, and then, we have arrived. Well, almost. There is a small maze that we must get through but it is nothing too hard. Or at least, it didn't used to be.


	5. Chapter 5: The Unwelcome Guests

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**Chapter 5: The Unwelcome Guests**

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><p>—<strong>Sheik's POV—<strong>

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><p>I'm not sure what just happened, but Link seems more thoughtful than offended or tense, like he was when he first saw the young boy sitting in front of the tree trunk. I doubt I will ever forget the tune Link just played though. It was green, full of life and youth and energy. Saria's song as Mido called it. It fit the Lost Woods we are in as well as the Kokiri who lived near it.<p>

We go through the tree trunk after more talking goes between Link and Mido, more that I don't understand because of missing context. Link had grabbed my hand again and pulled me forward through the tree trunk Mido had been guarding. Now we are looking at what seems to be multiple narrow passageways, almost like a maze.

Link walks forward fearlessly or recklessly until Navi flies out from underneath his hat and hovers just in front of his face with both hands up signaling him to stop. "You need to tread carefully here, this place is not as friendly as it was seven years ago. I sense multiple enemies here that will no doubt attack if they see you. Check before you start moving around corners." She tells him.

Heeding her warning, he pokes his head around the corner and then looks back at me shaking his head and nods appreciatively towards Navi. With a questioning glance I move and hug the wall where he had just been and glance around the corner. My eyes are widened in surprise at the sight I'm greeted by, a large creature with a bulldog-type face and large lower teeth wearing armor and holding a spear. He wouldn't stand a chance against that thing in armed combat…

I step closer to him for a second and whisper, "It will be best to fight that thing from a distance."

He nods his head and goes to pull something out of his pouch and then hesitates a second, a funny look crossing his face. He pulls out the clawshot, aims and kills the beast with one shot. _Wow, that thing is a lot more intense than I expected!_

He glances back at me with a stupid grin splitting his face and it's all I can do to contain my laughter. I watch him, not letting any emotion show visibly, but under the shawl I have a smile just as dumb as his on my own face. He looks at me like I've given him the single greatest gift of his life though.

We slip around the rest of the corners, downing more beasts and quickly shuffling around them, before coming to the stairs that lead up to a long hallway. Usually the stairs would probably seem a hard enough enemy to conquer, but since Ganondorf has moved his crew in, we have a beast that is twice as big as Link and I in height and width, wielding what looks to be a club so large it could crack the world, standing at the end of the long hallway.

It hefts the club off its shoulder and brings it crashing to the ground. A line of dirt rises up from the ground as a tremor shoots through the ground straight towards us; Link pushes me to one side and jumps to the other, the shockwave passing harmlessly between us though we still feel the ground under us tremble.

We glance at each other and then simultaneously take of straight towards the beast. We roll, side-jump and somersault forward until we are more or less standing right in front of it. Link is in front of me and he slides between the monster's legs, I on the other hand pull up for a second and lump to the side as the beast brings its club down once more in a final attempt to hit one of us. As the club strikes the ground to the side of me, I jump onto it and run up it, front flip over the head and bring my sword across its back as I finish my spin. Link is a few steps back, clawshot already moving towards the enemy's lower back. I land with my left foot out behind me, my right foot planted just beneath me and my knee almost touching the ground, my right hand holds my sword and my left is in front of me on the ground providing balance, leaving my body no more than two feet off the ground.

We turn and walk up the next group of stairs and finally reach the small glade the forest temple is set in. Link walks in to the middle and stops, his eyes resting on a small tree trunk not far from the broken stairs leading into the Forest Temple as if there is something missing about it, and then he just stands there looking at the cutoff trunk, an unfathomable look on his face.

_Oh, this is the spot he and Saria would meet; she probably used to sit there. _Once again, a flow of words pop into my mind and before I have time to think about them, my mouth forms the words and breath flows over my vocal chords.

"The flow of time is always cruel. Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it. A thing that doesn't change with time is a memory of younger days… In order to come back here again, I will teach you the Minuet of the Forest."

I pull out my lyre and play the song; Link takes out his Ocarina and plays back the song to me. Once he finishes, I nod, "I have received an urgent message from Impa and I must respond in person. I will return before you have left these woods after freeing Saria. Fare thee well, hero." I say, and with a flick of my wrist, a Deku nut is hurled to the ground and I teleport into the trees.

He blinks his eyes to get rid of the spots left behind from the blinding flash and then looks around, not seeing me, his shoulder droop slightly. "Well, Navi, just you and me again, my dear."

Navi sighed a bit "Yes, I have to deal with you by myself again, how will I ever survive. Though I will say this, I wasn't too sure about him at first, but Sheik's company is starting to grow on me some."

Link chuckled and muttered something causing Navi to laugh. Link still had his Ocarina out, now he brought it to his lips and played the Song of Time. A box appeared before him and, storing the Ocarina carefully in his pouch again, he quickly climbed up onto the box, then onto the remaining but slowly crumbling stone stairs and then disappeared through the darkened doorway.

* * *

><p><em>Being around Link has been an enjoyable experience so far. There is this innocence to him that you will not find in many others; even children nowadays are not so innocent. Though there are enough things about him to threaten to drive me insane, his sarcasm and view on things is a very welcome change. The only thing is I wish he talked a bit more. Not much has changed from his younger self, he started out very shy the first time we met but I feel like he warmed up quickly enough. This time though, I've spent almost an entire day of traveling with him and he is still mostly quiet.<em>

_Me being the mysterious Sheik probably does not help anything much, but this is who I am, so he will just have to be used to it. Our spar earlier today was enjoyable, he does have skill, though he could be much better than he is now if he only had a trainer and time to practice. As it is, he just has to learn on the fly and hope he lives long enough to learn more. The talks that were before and after the spar were nice also. It gave me a great chance to make sure my cover story was in place firmly so he wouldn't try to make guesses, but it was also neat to see how he skirted around the things that would be considered touchy subjects for most and then how he responded. _

_As we traveled the rest of the way to the entrance to the Kokiri Forest we did not talk hardly at all, but it was not uncomfortable silence, even with him going back and forth between emotions, the silence was easy and the forward movement reassuring. I know anytime I need to think about things and I'm in a weird mood, I will go riding, not sure what it is about the activity, but it's a nice way to release and think._

As this rare moment of reflection passed, my mind focused on getting to Kakariko and meeting with Impa, she had much to hear from me, and I needed to see if there was anything needed from me. The second I stepped foot outside the hollow tree trunk from the Kokiri Village and into Hyrule Field, I teleported to the gate just outside of Kakariko. Adjusting my coverings from any shifting that happened, I stepped into the village and walked towards Impa's house

I open the door and slip inside. Impa is not here but a guy is standing near the table.

"Oh, Sheik! Impa has gone to the Shadow Temple, something about Bongo Bongo or something. I didn't catch all of it, but she said she would return this afternoon."

I recognize the man from one of the Sheikah meetings I attended with Impa, he was nice enough the few times I met him. Cogan was his name, I remember as I nod and bow slightly before turning and walking out the door again.

I walk across the village and in to talk to some of the people I haven't seen in a while. It's already close to being the afternoon so I don't stay long in one place. The longest I stayed somewhere was one of the buildings that had a couple beds to one side. There were a couple ladies and guys scattered throughout the building, but one man was apparently sleeping on a bed, even though it was quite loud in the building.

I ask Lyn, one of the older ladies nearby who he was. "Oh, that poor soul, its Talon, you know, the former owner of Lon Lon Ranch? He randomly showed up one day, silent as a rock, and depressed as a rainstorm on a clear day. He usually just sleeps all day and moans the rest." She shook her head and returned to stirring the pot on the stove in front of her.

I glance over and decide I should at least try to talk to him. "Sir?" I say softly…no response… "Sir." I say again louder…not even a twitch… "Sir!" I almost yell, his breathing stops for a couple seconds and then returns to normal._ Ugh_, I shake my head in disgust. I'm wasting my time; Impa will be back home by now.

I say my farewells to all those in the building, _the ones who are awake at least,_ and then walk out the door. I reach Impa's house in less than a minute and open the door and step in. Impa is there with her arms folded over her chest and is standing, looking out the window that faces Death Mountain.

Without looking over her shoulder she says, "The Gorons and Zoras are getting tired of waiting. They are impatient to bring this to an end. Their arguments are that everyday we wait, is another day Ganondorf can use to get stronger. What they don't understand however," She says turning to face me, "is even if we moved the day he showed up, he is far too powerful for us to defeat. Only the one who bears the Sword of the Bane of Evil will be able to strike him down."

Her eyes are fixated on mine, "And how fares our young Hero of Time? Much improved since seven years ago. He seemed small, even for one as young as he was," a small smile cracking across her face.

I pull my shawl down, my face expressionless and voice flat, "He is much improved. He can run all night and not tire. I don't think he has stopped to sleep any since he awoke after seven years." Confusion flits across her face and I sigh.

I sit down in a chair at the table and give a detailed retelling of all that had happened the past two days. I told her everything from my dream to meeting him, sending him here and then our spar as I was escorting him to the Forest Temple. Still keeping my voice void of emotion until I finished the telling of our actions to this point in its entirety.

Her eyes cloud a little for a few moments. She looks over to me finally and says, "I went to the Shadow Temple today, Bongo Bongo was breaking from his seal slightly. I'm not too sure how much longer he will be restrained…it should hold for at least another few weeks, but I'm not sure how he is breaking it down so I can't be sure."

Impa imprisoned the monster many years ago, when she was much younger. I don't doubt that she is capable, but if Bongo Bongo breaks out, it won't be as easy for her to do it again…

We sit in silence for a few moments, our thoughts roaming through our own minds. It's been a while since I was around Impa and I haven't heard anything lately about the rest of Hyrule, "How are things lately? I've been out of the loop since you and I split up. The group I traveled with didn't care much for what was happening, they just wanted to stay safe. What have the Gorons and Zoras been up to while trying to be patient? You said they were ready to do something?"

She drew in a long breath before letting out a heavy sigh, "Yes, they have been trying a passive aggressive approach in dealing with Ganondorf. They started by raising prices on the trade between any cities he had a strong hold on, claiming they were running low on resources. Then they cut off all trade to his areas of persuasion, smuggling in only to those of us they know they can trust."

She stands up and begins pacing back and forth on her side of the table.

"They have closed the main routes into their cities and domain, but once again, leaving it open to those we know are trust worthy. However, we know Ganondorf is tightening his grip everywhere, either through fear and punishment, or by showering people with his blessing, trying to win them over.

"We fear that before long, those who we thought kept our confidences will turn to strike us down rather than risk their lives for the good of all. Even a number of our Sheikah family has begun to act strangely, disappearing for a time without any warning or reason."

She stops pacing and looks over at me, a grim smile across her face, "It is a good thing the Hero of Time is on our side, because we are in a race with the very thing he controls."

I snort softly. It's not that I don't think he won't be able to do it, I'm sure he'll manage things well enough. But the fate of the world comes down to whether a seventeen-year-old kid can do what the Goddesses created him for. _Good thing he has Navi and me to help or this would be hopeless._

I look down and pick at part of the wooden table that is splitting. Impa walks over and sits in the chair near me, placing a hand over mine and squeezing softly.

"How have you been, Zelda, dear?" She asks once I look at her, concern emitting off her face.

I shake my head in negative, "I have been fine, Aunt Impa. My past has strengthened me more than ever and my future offers the only two things that will give me peace. I have no fears, I have no attachments, all that is left for me is either death, or vengeance." I finish proudly with an edge slipping over my voice at the end.

Impa's eyes widen, "Surely those are not your only two options, vengeance does your body no more good than death, it is like poisoned food. It looks to fill you up, but it leaves you hungrier and closer to death than before. I do not say forget your parent's death, but do not let your hurt and fear—"

I burst with anger at the turn the talk has taken, she is not my mother, she should not care about me, I am not even truly her nephew. She has no right to speak to me like this, "Do not speak to me in riddles! If vengeance is poison then let it flow! I know nothing else that will bring me the closure I seek. I know no pain, and I do not fear death, or even Ganondorf! Were he to walk into this room right now I would not tremble.

He can do nothing worse to me than what he already has done, and I will see to it that he meets his end for his crimes. Even if it means I tear his heart from his body myself. I will have justice. He does not deserve to live, there is only evil within him. If for no other reason, I will end his reign of terror so no one else has to face what I've gone through!"

I stand quickly, the chair I was sitting in topples backwards to the floor with a loud clatter and I stride over to the door and exit the building, allowing my anger to continue to show through the force I use to close the door. I hear the hinges rattle for a second until the door settles in its frame.

It's dark outside again.

Not wishing to be seen, I quickly leap onto the roofs and sprint towards the gate leading out of the village. My night will be spent on Hyrule Field; hopefully this is the open air I have been searching for.

As I run, I begin to regret my anger, only a little though. I know she worries, and she means the best, but I know what I need, no story, analogy or riddle will solve this. Only action, the time for thinking is done, now is the time for doing.

A small voice from deep within asks quietly, _"Even if it is done blindly?"_

_Yes you fool, being killed on your feet is better than being captured on your seat, _I snarl back, my anger rising once more.

"_Better to live another day—"_

_Oh, just shut up, will you. _After a few seconds, no reply is forthcoming so I take it as an end to that discussion

_Great! Not just talking to myself but I'm arguing with me now too, can't wait to see what happens next…_

I sigh and then leap off the last roof. I hit the ground and roll forward to allow my momentum to continue and then regain my footing as I come out of the somersault. From there…I continue running, hoping the thoughts chasing each other there will leave me some peace and quiet for the night. Ultimately I focus on the pounding of my feet and heart taking some comfort by the constant repetitions, though my thoughts are still as rampant as ever.

* * *

><p>I don't know how long I ran, but I'm short of breath and my feet are sore. Fabric shoes aren't the most comfortable, especially if you accidentally find smaller rocks with the bottoms of your feet in them. My feet used to bruise when I first started wearing these shoes, now it's just a dull throb that blends in as my feet pound away after a while…<p>

I walk until I reach a patch of trees. I'm not too sure where I am right now, but there doesn't seem to be any crows in the branches so instead of sleeping on the ground where stalchildren could get to me without me noticing, I scale the nearest tree and settle in.

I don't see how Link does it; he's been going hard for two days straight now, starting on the third, with not even a nap from what I've seen. I'm worn out from just today, and I'm not down in a dungeon fighting monsters. I wonder how far he has gotten in the temple by now.

Leaning back against the tree truck, situated somewhat precariously on one branch, bracketed by two others, one on either side like armrests, I let my eyes close as I enjoy the sounds of nature. At some point while enjoying the peacefulness around me, my mind drifted off to dreams and my body settled even more into the tree.

* * *

><p><em>I dream about a few bunnies running through a field chasing butterflies and grasshoppers. On the edges of my vision I can see a couple dogs laying in the sun, some fish in the stream nearby, and a figure walking towards me.<em>

_After a feat beats, I can make out a familiar color… and hat. Link slowly comes closer. I can see his facial expression now, he looks worn down, he has cuts all over him and there is dried blood smeared in different areas. He walked to within thirty feet of me and pulled up short. His face settling into a deep look of concentration, he reaches over his shoulder and pulls out a bow. Slowly he nocks an arrow and pulls it taut, leveling the bow right at me_

'_Link! It's me, Sheik! Your friend, don't shoot!" I try to yell out, but no words come…_

_I feel a cold, feeling behind me, drawing closer until it passes through and I see a Poe appear in front of me. _Did that thing just go through me? Ugh _I shiver from head to toe._

_The Poe starts spinning the lantern it has in its hand and moves closer to Link at a quicker pace._

_He holds steady, takes a breath and then releases the arrow with a soft twang. An unearthly, piercing screech rings out as the arrow embeds itself into the spirit's head. The Poe vanishes but the lantern stays behind on the ground and Link rushes forward to pick it up. The lantern wasn't the only thing still around though, the screech continued. It slowly began to get louder and louder until…_

* * *

><p>"HEEEEYYYYYYY!" I hear by the side of my face as I'm startled awake. My ear drums seemingly about to burst. I don't have any time to think about what is going on before I realize I'm falling. Of course! What else would happen next when sleeping in a tree?<p>

I crumple to the ground, thankfully I have gotten somewhat used to falling from these heights, what from all the missed jumps between roofs and such, this is nothing. I missed most of the branches on the way down also which always helps minimize the bruises. _That doesn't mean I'm feeling fit to run a race or…._

I hear laughing, then a flash of the last bit of moonlight that remained in the sky hits my eye and I finally look around me for the first time. I see people surrounding me, not just people however, a group of ladies, to be precise. The moonlight was flashing off of something hanging from each of their sides…

…_or fight a group of fifteen Gerudo women. Great…these girls are more like guys than I am._

Dual scimitars hang from each of their sides, and all of them have long hair. They're looking down at me with mean grins or hard expressions on their faces. Looks like I chose the wrong place to sleep for the night…

The Gerudo tribe is made up completely by women, all very skilled in swordsmanship, some of the finest warriors in Hyrule. If you could choose anyone to be on your side during a war, _and don't mind having most of your things stolen by the end of it_, you would want to choose the Gerudo tribe.

In many ways, they remind me of the Sheikah, granted, in most ways they don't and either would kill you if you mentioned the similarities, but both are good at fighting. Though both are good at stealth, the Gerudo are better with swords and the Sheikah have many techniques the Gerudo do not.

In an all out duel, it would be tough to say who would win… right now? I would be destroyed. The nerves in my arms and hands are still throbbing from the abrupt impact with the ground.

I'm dragged to my feet, gagged, and then my hands are secured around my back as the Gerudos check for any concealed weapons. Thankfully they don't know Sheikahs very well, you can't just pat them down and think you'll find their weapons, I know of one they miss during the search and its close enough to reach without any trouble, _granted, we are taught to hide it here in case we are captured. _

The small of our back is decently accessible when captured. We wrap a blade that is hidden inside a quill that is sharp enough to cut any rope (given enough time that is) but can be wrapped inside the folds of cloth. Normal pat downs will miss it…Now to wait for the opportune moment to spring myself…

* * *

><p>We walked most of the day, heading in the general direction of Hyrule. <em>That doesn't really make sense, the only thing still in Hyrule are the Re-Dead. Shouldn't these girls know that? Or do they have other reasons for going to Hyrule than they used to?<em>

I had mostly only paid attention to where we were, what path we were taking, but I roamed Hyrule for seven years, and most of it was spent here in the field so there are only so many new things to notice as I had seen this landscape while going almost every direction you could travel.

So I let my attention drift from the landscape surrounding me to study the girls closer. They were walking with five or six feet in between each other, one placed behind and to the side, another behind her and to the opposite side and on back it went in the zigzag manner.

There has been practically no talking the entire time we've walked, their heads constantly sweeping back and forth across the terrain in front of us. I wondered at how frustrating it was to have hair that long and that color. I have nothing against long or red hair, or a combination of those two, but man, that is a lot of red…

If a person were walking through Hyrule Field, they would have been able to see these ladies without any trouble, even from a distance. There were only fifteen, but fifteen heads of the fire red hair some of these ladies have will stand out like a fire in a forest. All of them have hair that goes down to at least their waist; all have it pulled back in a ponytail.

_I wonder if they use it as a whip if they lose their scimitars…I'll have to ask them sometime that I'm not a prisoner of theirs. Getting them upset with me right now doesn't sound like the best plan. _A thin smile spread across my face as we walked.

There is a rope tied around my waist that is connected to the waist of the girl in front of me. _Like that will stop me from escaping_, I smirk inwardly. I had been keeping the rope slack enough that she wouldn't notice when I was gone, the girl walking behind me gave the only problem I had yet to solve.

I had glanced over my shoulder a couple times. Both I tried to hide by making it look like I was just looking around. She was walking probably ten feet behind us, her head turned to the ground both times I looked. She seemed distant from the others. A few of the ladies looked back. At first I thought they were checking on me, but as I watched, I noticed they looked past me where she was walking.

The first few times there was a flash of…pain? _No that isn't quite right_, it was more like a tenderness that crossed their face when they looked back at her. Concern and worry displayed fairly clear, they caught me looking and their face went stoic again before turning to watch in front of them again.

The second time I looked back at her, her eyes were shifting back and forth with an angry expression on her face, almost like she was arguing with herself,_ not that I had any experience with that_. She took a few louder and sharper breathes and then shook herself, closed her eyes, stopping for a moment, and then caught back up to us with calm breathing once again.

_Something is going on here; either within this group and her or a few members of this group…I wonder what it could be? I hate not knowing these kids of things. I have no reason to be curious, the fact that I am is frustrating, because I don't know_ and_ because it shouldn't matter to me…_

I go back to watching the scenery slowly crawl past us, waiting, just waiting…

* * *

><p>We stop, finally. I could have walked more, I'm not getting tired; it just felt slightly like we were walking without purpose. Well, I was for sure, I'm still not sure what is going on with the rest of these people.<p>

I'm sitting on the ground, leaned up against a tree with my eyes closed and mind wandering. My ears are waiting the sound of any kind of change. We have been walking all day; I was woken up shortly before dawn and we had been walking since with no stops. It is now a ways into the afternoon and I wasn't sure when the last time this group had stopped was. _Maybe they sleep through this part of the day and then start moving again through the night…_

They let me out of my bonds for a short time to keep from irritating the skin more than I had to while I ate. My wrists were getting a little raw. The angry girl that was walking at the back of the pack was the one to talk them into letting me out of the bonds.

"Look, we're all gathered around, he wont try to escape while we're stopped, it would be too easy to chase him down and kill him. I don't even understand why we have him with us, we don't take prisoners." She had said when the others expressed concern.

At that point, whether I liked it or not, I understood why there were the glances back from the others and the angry expression on her face, she didn't want to have to deal with me, probably would kill me if she had the chance.

A while after I finished eating, she came over and sat down next to me. She looked at me evenly and then said with a light tone of mockery to her voice, "So, do you even know how to fight?

Before I could stop myself, I scoff and then reply, "No, I just wear the uniform because I think it looks cool, I'm not actually a Sheikah either. No, truth be told, I'm Princess Zelda in disguise," With sarcasm flying carelessly from my voice. _Damn it, now I've done it, probably pissed her off and let my secret out. _My mind was worrying until I heard a low chuckle start from her that grew into a hearty laugh, I looked at her as I she were crazy. The others joined in as her laugh grew. _What in the name of the Goddesses is going on right now?_

She ended up wiping tears from her eyes as she calmed down. "Oh Din! I haven't laughed like that in years. You have jokes, sir, that is to be sure," she turned serious almost instantly as she took in a breath and then released it, "But do you have skills? If you wish to continue with us you must duel with one of us. It will be a duel to the death, if you win; you take the spot of the one you defeated and then may leave when we reach the first town should you so choose. If you lose, you die."

The other ladies around sat up straighter, _apparently this was not communicated to some of them, if any…_ I look around and see some confusion on faces, but mostly a stern look of confidence; each of them know their abilities as well as they know themselves, I, on the other hand, know nothing about any of them.

Such as the fact that since this woman talking to me now was walking at the back of the group, I took her to be one of the lowest followers. However, as she made these statements and no one challenged her or gave her openly curious glances or turning to whisper to ones near them, she was clearly the leader of the group.

I finish my scan of those around me and then settle my eyes back on her. I look straight into her eyes and say, "Then it sounds to me like one who has a problem with me being here should be the one I fight." I'm looking pointedly at her because she has been the only one vocal to this point

She half laughed and then with mockery coloring her tone completely and openly she stated, "You wish to duel me. I take it you do not know I am the leader of the group; as such I am the best fighter among us. Were you to win, however impossible that outcome is, you would not take my position as leader, only my slot in the group. You still wish to duel me young one?"

"You are younger than I, and yes, I have made my choice. I know nothing of the others' skills and as such would be as great a disadvantage as the one I am at with you. I do not seek to lead this group, only live and return to the task set before me before you interrupted my peaceful nap in the tree branches."

I pull my shawl down and give her a smile, "However, do not think you are in the clear, you are at the same disadvantage that I am. Though you know your skills and I do not; I know my skills and you do not. I hope I'm more of a challenge than you are making me out to be," I give a small wink.

She smiled a small smile, "I must say, I am glad that you are confident enough to not run or choose someone else. To have done so would be very dishonoring. However, I must admit, I will be very sad no matter the outcome, for one of us will die and during this time in your company, though brief, I have enjoyed this conversation."

Those around us looked at her, some with terribly hidden confusion across their face. _Guess they've never seen her like this…I wonder what they are like when they are around their own people. I know the Sheikah become more open and expressive around each other, their eyes still showing the most emotion, but still, it would be fun to experience…_

I nod, "Under different circumstances, we even may have been able to become friends after a time." I laugh, "but the conversation need not end quite yet, would you humor me an answer to a question?"

She adjusts how she is sitting to a more comfortable position and nods in the affirmative.

"It isn't any of my business, but I was wondering why you were going to Castle Town." I state directly

She looks at me strangely and then starts laughing, "You must have heard stories of us coming into Castle Town for boyfriends. Surely you have; even you Sheikah who live under rocks have surely heard about it. We don't try to be secretive about it."

"I am aware of that, but there is no one in Castle Town any longer, there hasn't been for many years. Unless you are wanting to befriend a Re-Dead." I say with a look of mock horror. _Hopefully they take that as a joke and not think I am suggesting they seem like the girls who would do that…_ I cringe inwardly.

Shock seeps into all of the faces except the angry girl's face, the one who has been talking to me. Her face remains collected but worry is showing slightly in her eyes, "No one? And how are Re-Dead in there? Only the darkest caves and tombs have seen their presence for generations, certainly not above the ground," Her face slowly settling into a mask of concentration and deep thought.

"Not to be inconsiderate to the present company, but when Ganondorf destroyed the castle, killed the royal family and most of the nobles and advisors and then proclaimed himself king of Hyrule, most people fled from Castle Town. Not instantly though. Actually there were still many people living there up until four years ago.

"To those who only visit once or twice a year, such as yourselves; it would only look like it was only businesses that were closing up. To those of us around this area constantly however, not a day went by that you didn't see someone moving things across Hyrule heading in some direction." After three years of nothing getting better, only worse by the day, more people left. It still wasn't a mob out of the city, but it became small groups traveling together, those that could or would at least.

"A year later the Re-Dead moved in. The few people who stayed either faded into the shadows, died, or integrated into the new standing of Hyrule, though we only know of one still there as of now and that person collects Poe spirits."

The main girl I had been speaking to looks up at me, "We knew things were bad from some of the more recent reports we had received, but we didn't know it had reached this point. However, I wont believe this is Ganondorf's fault. Economy has been rough the past seven years, fighting between the races has broken out, there have been rumors of people massing armies to attack the Gerudo,"

She dropped her voice and leaned closer for a few seconds, "Do not let the other women hear I told you, but we are glad our fortress is in the desert, we are used to it but most aren't, if armies tried to attack us, they would be too tired to do much by the time they got there. There is unspoken fear in our fortress that has not been there for many generations."

She leaned back once more and continued, "Now, allow me to ask a question before we start, what is your name?"

"Sheik. And yours?" I replied

She chuckled darkly, "Ahhh, haha, beat me and I'll tell you." She replied with a wink and then stood up.

* * *

><p>I readjusted my last knife and slipped my dagger into its sheath. <em>Well, this is going to be interesting. Either I'm going to have to kill her, or…she'll kill me…<em> I was very glad to have my sword with me also. I could have fought with a scimitar, but it wouldn't have been the same. I loved the feeling of the handle beneath my hand, the familiar weight pulling down on my arm, but nearly most of all; I loved my sheath and the blade work.

As I was re-arming myself, a couple of the Gerudo watched me, if there was a weapon they were not okay with, they would stop me and I would hand over the weapon. They started laughing, however, when I put my sword on my back. They were whispering to each other and were rolling with laughter before I asked them what was so funny.

They were pointing at my back, still unable to communicate coherently. Finally one of them said, "Your sword is on upside down". I look back and the sword handle was where it always was, just below my elbow on my right side, the end of it coming up just over my left shoulder. It is definitely different than almost all other swords, but I like it.

Some, not all, but a few Sheikah are chosen to make their own blade, they designed it, with advice from master sword smiths of course. They have to gather their own materials, forge it themselves and then make a sheath for it, since naked blades are very dangerous and can make loud noises if you accidentally bump into something. I was one of the few selected ones.

I had found a small grove while wandering throughout Hyrule, in the middle was a small crater and a handful of rocks that all looked alike. They weighed a lot more than they looked like they would, but I picked them all up and added them to my pack. That was a couple years before I made the sword, but I kept them.

I used these rocks to make the sword as well as my dagger. It was slightly fickle until I got the hang of it, the blades ended up a midnight black color with a slight glossy look to it. I made the sword handle out of Cocobolo wood; the red handle with black grains catches your eye when you first see it. I shaped the wood for the handle myself to the point it fit into my hand the way I wanted it to. It felt like I had an extra long left arm when I held it. It feels, natural.

I made two adjustments though. The first was to the blade. When I forged it, I put a small notch in both sides, most thought it was for looks, but they hadn't seen my plans for the sheath yet. After I finished making the sword how I liked it, I set in on getting my sheath to do what I wanted. I shaped it out of wood from a walnut tree, but it was the inside I was most focused on.

I worked the wood so that I could make a small movement before I went to pull my sword out and it slide out perfectly fine, but it was something complex enough that I could wear my sheath upside down and run, walk, roll, etc. without worrying if it will fall out. It felt like there was much more open movement reaching over my shoulder to grab my sword, my body would be somewhat protected by my arm as I drew it in this altered fashion.

After three weeks of work, I finished the sheath and had the movement down to the point that I could draw the sword without hardly any hesitation. The best part that I hadn't meant to do with the work on the sheath however, was unless you knew how to unlock the sword from the sheath, you couldn't pull it out.

I did so now as the girls who had been laughing watched. As the blade fully cleared their faces shifted into expressions of open awe. When I could find the free time, _which waiting for seven years just moving from one place to the next left you with plenty of it, _I went over the blade and did small etchings. I made them just deep enough to pour melted steel into it and then smooth it over and wiping off the excess before it cooled, sometimes using a metal that looked more like gold for contrast.

All down both sides, a design ran, standing boldly out off the blackness of the blade, it looked like a fake, show blade, but this sword has killed more than a few creatures.

This effectively shut them up and I returned the sword to its sheath. I moved towards the spot most of the ladies were gathering; they would form a wide, loose circle around the girl I am about to fight and myself. No running away from this, even if I wanted to.

As I get closer, those who hadn't been around to see the sword chuckled and shook their head but then quieted when they saw the expressions of those who had seen it. Apparently, it really impressed them. _If I live through this, I'll have to ask why…_

I've cleared the informal line into the duel ring. The angry/leader girl is on the other side, two scimitars hanging at her waist, a small knife wrapped to her ankle. The had traded her usual clothes for a one shoulder top that cut off a little above her navel and a pair of tight fitting pants that cut off just below the knees. I would have been surprised if she had worn the clothes she traveled in, what she wore now would be much less restraining on movements.

She looks up at me with excitement and anticipation showing clearly on her face. The group around us falls silent, waiting to see who would be the first to draw their sword. I settle into a half crouch, and pull a short sword from my left waist and draw my sword from my back. A gasp of awe, even from angry/leader girl goes around the circle as the blade once again comes into view.

Fluidly, my combatant slides both scimitars off her hips at once and spins them around her hands. _Yeah, win or lose, this is going to be fun. _A grin spreads across my face. She must have been thinking the same because she grins back. I'm glad it's her I'm fighting; this will be one hell of a show for those around us.

_I can't wait!_


	6. Chapter 6: The Sisters of The Blade

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**Chapter 6: The Sisters of The Blade**

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* * *

><p>—<strong>Sheik's POV—<strong>

* * *

><p>A moment's hesitation…<p>

We size each other up, she is a bit taller than me but looks to be the same weight, she is well toned, and her feet are set lightly on the ground. She'll be quick, but her blows will also have power behind them. Both scimitars are held a bit differently so I can probably expect her to be able to attack with either and use both swords separately.

I had sparred a few times before, had to while training to become a Sheikah. After a while though, I was fighting the upper ages rather than others in my class. Impa had been my teacher, she showed my not only how to fight, but why you used different attacks and stances at different times. Fighting became my equivalent to dancing.

Once I learned the "steps", it came easy. Natural. I loved sword fighting, especially with people who are really good. The only thing I was worried about was whether the Gerudo had the same dances as the Sheikah, or if I was going to have to learn as I went, possibly getting my "toes stepped on" in one way or another.

…And then we jump forward and met at the middle, the sound of metal on metal ringing out past the circle through the trees and scaring some of the nearby wildlife.

A laugh escapes from my mouth as we lock up for a couple of seconds, pushing back and forth, testing each other's strength. We push off and jump back from each other, we wait a couple seconds and then get straight back into it, blocking and parrying. We are slowly circling each other as we fight.

There is something about fighting someone that can bring you closer to them than any number of conversations can. I felt this kind of bond forming between her and I. We are becoming sisters of the blade. My mind flies off to the side as a memory is called up. My body takes over on autopilot as I relive the memory until a strong blow draws me back to reality.

We step back one more time and just stand facing each other. We're both breathing semi heavily, only a few bruises here and there on our arms from being hit by the hilt of the sword. I have never been this equally matched before, it was either the sword masters that were better than me, or my peers who weren't as good as me, there usually weren't any people who were in between.

With this girl though, it's going to be my favorite duel I have ever been a part of. A smile shows on my mouth once again. _Prisoners shouldn't be allowed to have this much fun. Surely there is some rule against it._

Enjoyment exudes off me, "Shall we dance my friend?" I ask with a wink.

A look of shock crosses her face before molding into a wide grin and she laughs, "Yes, we shall." _Apparently she wasn't expecting me to call her 'friend'. _My eyes lock onto hers as we dance back towards each other.

* * *

><p>—<strong>POV Shift—<strong>

* * *

><p>I had heard that the Sheikah were trained well with a sword but only the masters could take on some of our best warriors in a duel. This man is outstanding for his age. Ha, there are two things working against him; one he is a man, everyone knows men are weaker than women. It is why we are an all woman tribe, even the King, as a child, must prove himself worthy. If he does not, he may be king in title, but we have no respect for him.<p>

The second thing he must work against is age. Unless the Gerudo had raised him, I wouldn't have expected any young man this age to be able to hold his own against me, let alone be an equal. I am still not considered one of the best in the tribe, but I am very close. With these girls surrounding us and bearing witness, they may see enough of my skills to suggest I move up finally.

I have always loved swordplay. There is something about the way the blade sings as it slices through the air. The flow as gravity takes over from your muscles and pulls the blade down faster. Killing is not enjoyable, but the fight always is. It's been years since I had been in a fight where from the beginning I knew would be good. I knew my sisters from the tribe too well now and could choose whom I dueled depending on what I wanted to practice that day. After a while though, it becomes too easy to read their usual feints and movement patterns.

This guy, is a totally different story, his movements are fluid, his attacks are a little on the weak side, but still very strong for how well he flows. His constant half crouch leaves less open room for attack and the way he moves while dodging and sidestepping is almost, feline…

_If I didn't know better, I would say he was taught by a group of women to fight like them. His movements were more feminine than masculine._ As we were testing each other's strengths, I felt a bond begin, much like the one I have with my sisters from the tribe. I had dueled many men before, some were almost as good as the young man in front of me now, but never had I felt this connection.

A smile is almost constantly on his face; Such a strange fixture for the situation we are in, I could even swear I heard him chuckling multiple times as we fought. He must be enjoying this as much as I am.

After I felt like I knew him well enough I moved back away as he did. We stood. _Now we get down to business._ I had just finished the thought when he called, "Shall we dance my friend?" _Friend? I challenge him to a duel to the death and he calls me friend? He must be enjoying this as much as I thought_, I laugh softly and smile, _maybe _more_ than I thought_. "Yes, we shall."

We slowly walk towards each other, get within swords length and raise our weapons. We touch the sides of the weapons to each other and then spin away. I settle into a partially turned stance, my right foot as a base with my left foot leading. I have been trained ambidextrously, each week growing up, I would have to switch hands and do everything with that hand for the day, the next week, I was switched back. If I messed up, I was punished with one of the elders placing a cut across the palm of the hand I was not supposed to use that week. I learned quickly to say the least.

Nowadays, I can do anything with either or both hands. Since Sheik is fighting left handed then it would be easiest if I did also. I may switch later to throw him off a bit. I moved to make the first strike. I leapt towards him, both scimitars held above me, bringing them down forcefully at his head. The steel is met with the black blade, _such beauty_; I shake my head and dance back, just out of range, and recollect my thoughts.

A second of unfocused thought fighting him will be the end of me and I can't allow that. _As nice as he has been and though the feeling of this bond is growing stronger, I cannot lose, I cannot be killed. I can't leave so many goals unaccomplished…_

I square off once more with him, this time it is he who rushes over to me, the larger sword being drug behind him and the short sword angled across the front of his chest. As he gets closer, the short sword sweeps down and the black beauty arcs around the side of his body in a swiping motion, I turn, and block using both scimitars.

I push back his blade and then, we begin to dance closely, blocking, parrying, and counter attacking. We are so close I don't understand how our blades miss each other's bodies as we swing them, let alone how we both have time to block. I settle into a rhythm and watch his eyes for a second and I notice they are locked onto mine as he swings.

I'm held there for a moment, but my blocks do not miss even though I am not watching his swings. This is a different way to fight for me. As I watch, I see there are emotions under the surface there, but I can almost feel the attacks before they come. I look deeper, he has most of the match on his side planned out already, he plans each swing so that he can follow it up with another one, none are high powered in and of themselves, but they are hard hitters as a whole.

As soon as I realize this, my goal for the fight is to throw him off from that plan whenever possible. Up to this point I had been blocking and then attacking when he was open or slowed down, not really defending or being passive, but I was nowhere near as progressive or offensive as he was being. Our eyes still locked, I began moving before he started the follow up attack, his eyes shifted a couple seconds and then reset a bit firmer.

* * *

><p>—<strong>Sheik's POV—<strong>

* * *

><p>I had been staring openly into her eyes as I fought. Her mind was slightly distracted and so her attacks were easy to read, not that she was making very many moves in attack, more reacting and returning blows when I slowed for a time. I wasn't pushing her back or overwhelming her, I just fought differently.<p>

She locked eyes with me though after a while. Realization dawn across her face and she stared intently. Almost instantly, she became more aggressive. A smile crossed my face, _now we're talking girl, lets see how far we can take this_. Determination rooted me in place; I wasn't going to give an inch unless I made her give two inches.

We were locked in, neither willing to give, neither willing to lose, and both trained well enough to hold our own. Those watching were sitting in stunned silence, the only noise were from our movements and the crash of blade on blade.

Neither of us have landed a true hit yet, there were scratches and more bruises, but they were small and inconsequential.

Our eyes still locked, we moved as one. There was no beginning or end to our attacks, no pauses for defense, nor was there any way to tell our given blows from our parries. The fight was one motion, flowing seamlessly from offense to defense on both sides. We spun multiple times whether because of momentum or trying to land a hit, but we were following each other too closely.

She spun once as I brought my sword up diagonally left to right but I was just out of range of her body. However, my sword did connect with the hair that was following her head around. I connected with it just a little below the clasp of the ponytail. The girls around us gasped as multiple feet of hair drop to the ground with a dull puff. She connects with my sword shortly after as she completes her spin, A brokenness showing in her eyes. That slowly turns to fire. We are locked in a pushing battle.

A Gerudo's hair is of huge importance to them, the longer it is, the more honor they have. Often times, rather than physical punishment, they would have to get a certain amount of hair cut from the bottom, showing the loss of honor. The hair that was cut off would then be burned. The blow, though not a true hit, would most likely hurt her more than any physical pain I could cause her. We break apart for a second and then launch back into our flowing, seamless dance.

I'm starting to tire, so, to try to break the equal footing, I spin out and away from her and then continue the spin for a second revolution back to her, sword held almost straight out from my body. As I come around, bringing her back into view I see she has shifted some, confusion and humor dancing along her eyes and mouth. I realize she is ambidextrous by the new stance she is in, her right foot leading and left as base.

Our swords clash once more, breaking the momentary silence. It's different for both of us but we are still too evenly and well matched. This is a dance that would rival any ball the Royal Family had ever thrown.

I noticed she still wasn't as progressive in her attacks, more like she was just trying to disrupt me from mine. Rather than giving her the satisfaction of disrupting my plans, I changed all of my plans right then. I did a backswing with my left hand and swung high with my main sword and let the momentum carry me around as she ducked, as my right hand with the short sword brought low across her body, I landed a soft blow to the side, opening her skin enough to cause a flow of blood. What I hadn't noticed however was her blade coming across my chest as I spun. She also landed a soft blow, cutting the fabric and wrappings there slightly and drawing blood as well.

She caught a sight of my chest and confusion swept over her. I took the moment of hesitation to level my sword across her shoulders. She snapped back from her loss of focus and just barely succeeded in getting both scimitars up, however, after the beating given and taken during our fight _ad who knows how many other battles,_ the metal wasn't up for the task and broke, leaving only jagged edges the length of a good sized knife behind.

Startled, she dropped the handles and scooted back away from me on the ground. Fear and wonder spreading across her face. She was defenseless; sure, she had knives stashed away, but there was little she could do against my sword while on the ground. She knew and let her head drop slightly, still making eye contact.

There is only one thing left to do. I look at her, pain from the wound on my chest showing on my face. I flip my sword around so I am gripping it backwards and raise it above my head.

* * *

><p>—<strong>POV Shift—<strong>

* * *

><p>I don't have time to grieve the loss of my hair. When I felt it disconnect from my head, it crushed me, <em>and made me unbalanced, that hair weighed so much more than I thought…<em> I had never had my hair cut for anything. It was almost long enough to drag the ground a couple feet behind me if I left it down. When I put it in a ponytail, I had to double it back on its self, halfway down so it wouldn't hinder me while fighting. Though it is a dishonor to lose it through punishment, I lost it in battle, one that I could die from if I remain distracted. I am all about honor, I loved having long hair some days, but sometimes it seemed foolish to have that much hair just…hanging around…however, even with these facts taken into account, only the one with the longest hair could lead this group. I may be the best fighter of them, but there cannot be a leader without her honor, fight or not. Many would give up here and be struck down, but I am not like many others.

Aside from that and back to the fight, I knew a few blows back my scimitars weren't up for the challenge of a longer fight. I had switched my stance to even out the blows more, but it still didn't help. I could hear the steel protesting every time our blades met. I had to land a hit on him before this ended. I tried to read him for a chance that may come soon, but then his attack changed completely.

If I hadn't been looked in with his eyes and watching so closely, I would have never seen the change in plans. He was going to bring his sword across in a backhanded swing. I ducked and stabbed my left hand forward, and his momentum drew the scimitar blade across his chest. It wasn't deep but it was a true hit.

The next thing I know I feel a slice across my own side and realize I had taken a chance to land a hit and unknowingly left myself open to attack from the short sword he brought around on me, but that wasn't what held my attention for another couple seconds. The fabric across his chest covered some white wrappings; the cut in them was larger than it was when I first made it because there was pressure behind it. There was blood running freely, but it didn't disguise what the wrappings had hidden so well.

_Sheik isn't a guy, she is a girl! She had wrapped fabric so tightly around her chest that it made her breasts look like a guy's chest; how and why, I didn't know, but this was crazy! How did we not notice this sooner, the whole time we walked around her, the whole time I fought her!_ _Wait, I did notice, she moved like a girl would. What's next? She turns out to be Princess Zelda's twin sister?_

A soft cry brings me back to reality, Sheik is bringing her sword across her body, leveled and apparently aiming for my head. Thankfully instincts kick in and my swords go up to block of their own accord. Unfortunately, with the sound of a crack, it is the last block for them and the top halves of each break roughly and falls to the ground.

I drop the handles and scoot back quickly. Somehow, I had ended up sitting on the ground in the middle of all this. A look crosses her face and I know I am at my end. I fought the best I could, enjoyed it, loved it, but I had lost, all that is left is to die with honor, well, as much as was left on my head. My head drops slightly, still watching her. She flips her sword around and raises it above her head, holds it for a second and then drags it down at me quickly. I close my eyes just before it reaches me, _I cant watch_, I almost cry.

Instead of feeling pain, I hear a soft slice in front of me. Sounded like a sword does when it's been stabbed into the ground. I look up, startled. She can't do this, no matter what; duels to the death cannot end with both combatants still alive…

Sheik straightens back up from sticking the sword in the ground and steps back.

"Don't do this to me or yourself," I start, "There is no honor in allowing me to live. You have beaten me fairly, I have no way to fight that would allow me to match you."

She looks at me, and smiles softly? She looks around at all the faces still in a circle around us, though they all seemed to be moving closer slowly, hands moving towards their swords. She lifts her hands to them and says, "Calm down, there is no shame or dishonor here." Turning to me she looks down at me and asks seriously, "What is your name?"

I look shocked, _that's right, she still doesn't know my name. She doesn't know what she is talking about though, our culture and tradition says it is the highest shame and dishonor for the loser to live after a duel to the death, dishonor for both the winner and loser. The only thing worse is running from battle._ "Gwyn" I answer and then start to continue, "but it—"

She raises a hand and stops me, "Your full name, please." She says, still softly, but seriously.

"Gwyndale Highrunner" I say, the first time in years I have said my full name. Those standing around us look at me with shock, none of them had heard my full name before, I realized. I've been traveling with these girls for three years and they didn't know this about me. Wow…

She nods, "I say there is no shame or dishonor, because as your culture and traditions allow, I claim Gwyndale Highrunner as my Sister of The Blade. I am not required nor even allowed to strike down one in my family. She fought honorably, skillfully and only lost because the steel of her blade was worn. We each landed a true it and may leave this battle on the equal footing we entered. If there is any who may deny me this claim speak, otherwise, tend to her. I have my own supplies in my bag that I can use."

I am startled and awed beyond belief. Not only is Sheik a girl, but she also knows some of the more obscure and sometimes forgotten traditions of our people. _Just who is this Sheik? _I wonder…

Those around me have expressions that seem to show the same line of thinking. A group of girls rush over to me to help me to my feet, but Sheik is already standing over me, her hand extended down to me. I take the offered hand and she helps me pull myself up, rather than letting me go, she pulls me closer,

"Say none of what you have seen or are thinking to those around you, come see me after you are recovered and I will answer your questions. Sister." She said the last word after pulling away from me, placing a hand on either shoulder, giving me a soft squeeze and a small smile.

She released me as the group got closer and then turned and was directed to where we set her things. She had her hand covering her wound, whether to stop the bleeding or keep those accompanying her from finding out her secret, I wasn't sure. There must be something big going on for her to be hiding as a guy.

I am led to our ring of packs and sat down on a nearby tree that had died and fallen over. I watch from a distance as Sheik walks toward the small stream not far from our camp. The girls move to follow but I call them back. "You can watch and be sure sh—he does not try to run away from here. Sheik!" she called out to me, "You may be my Sister of The Blade now, but for the time being they will still treat you as a prisoner. No offence, it just takes a bit to shift mindsets. Plus, I want answers." I call with a laugh.

She turns and waves back to me in acknowledgement.

I have drunk a large portion of the red potion from one of the bottles of it that we carry with us. It tingles as it flows down my throat and then I feel the warmth of it flowing through my body and down to my side, a tickling, and itching feeling spreading across the wound. I never can get used to this feeling.

For a little while, while I was still young and living in the fortress, I would get hurt just so I could enjoy the feeling again. After a few times of it, the people overseeing my training said I had to let any wounds I received over the next six months had to heal naturally, they would stop the bleeding and make sure I was patched, but I still had to train daily. After waking up two months into it, cuts and bruises covering my body, I decided I would never abuse it again, and I haven't, but I still enjoy the feeling.

* * *

><p>—<strong>Sheik's POV—<strong>

* * *

><p>I get down to the water's edge. <em>What have I gotten myself into, and how much am I going to tell Gwyn? I may have some of her trust, but I don't know what the others will do if they find out I really am Zelda. What can my cover story be?<em>

I used the water to wash away the blood as my mind whirls as fast as it can. I had already drunk some potion I always have with me, and the wound had closed and stopped bleeding. If I did anything too stressing or stretch the wrong way, it could open up again, but I think I'm good for now. Once all the blood was off, I rewrapped my chest and slid a new tunic over the wrappings and stepped out of the water.

Gwyn seemed to be the only one who noticed that I was not a guy, which is a great thing. Hopefully I can explain it in a way that she won't see any point in telling the others. Or find a way to have her feel like she shouldn't tell them…

_This might be problematic…._ I sigh and finish walking back up the hill to where the Gerudos are gathering. Gwyn is looking good, the wound is healed, but she looks very different without her long hair. It's actually pretty cute though. The right side goes down to just above her shoulder while the left side goes down to about her cheek. I think I might like they way she looks better than before with the long hair.

I go and sit down across from her, "Want to go for a walk?" I ask.

"Sure, sounds good," she replies, stands up then turns to those around us and says, "I think we can trust her, she could have killed me in the duel if she wanted to. We'll take a short walk and then be back later."

She walks over, links arms with me and we head out from the group. I'm startled some; this is very different from anything I have heard of the Gerudo before.

We are quiet as we walk away from everyone and for the first few minutes that we walk. After a bit I break the silence, "So, what do you want to know?"

* * *

><p>—<strong>Gwyn's POV—<strong>

* * *

><p>"So, what do you want to know?" She asked after we had gotten a ways removed from the others.<p>

"That's a broad statement. I want to know a great many things." I say half jokingly.

"Well, before you ask, I will say this, if there is something that puts me or those close to me in jeopardy, I will not tell you. I will do my best to answer any questions you have, but some I simply will not be able to. I have claimed you as my sister, and I trust you, but there are some things I don't even speak of in the strictest confidences within my own people." She said simply, a slight ring of sadness to her voice.

"Then I will start small, what is your name?"

She laughed "If this is considered small then I'm not sure I want to hear the bigger ones later." She chuckled, "I have been Sheik to all of my association minus one these seven years past. As for who I was before. My personality has changed as much as my name. I am that person no more. I am Sheik." her tone suggested one of finality. To leave one's former self behind so completely…how has she not gone mad yet?

"Why are you disguised as a guy? Had we known you were a woman we would have left you sleeping in the tree." I said with a joking tone to my voice.

"And deprived me of gaining a sister? For that alone I am glad to have been disguised. I am terribly sorry for cutting your hair in our fight by the way. I did not have a chance to apologize since it happened. I know the importance of it to you and your tribe…" She looked away.

Pain filled my eyes for a short time before looking over at her kindly, "I could care less," I say dismissively and with a wave of my hand though there is much pain fresh just below the surface of the nonchalant movement, "Here's one you should be able to answer because this is something that I do care about right now, how do you know so much of the inner workings of the Gerudo? I feel foolish, but I was still in the mind that I would have to kill you if I won, I should have thought of it and…"

She was laughing softly, "I only remembered it just after we started the fight, and I felt a bond forming between us, and I thought of it as us becoming sisters of the blade. I was brought up learning much about all the people groups scattered across Hyrule, the Gerudo, Gorons, Hylians, Zoras, and even more about my own people. I remembered the phrase after I thought it and it fit. I cannot be your tribe sister, but we are so evenly matched. It fit what I understood about it. I still do not know everything it entails, only that those outside of the Gerudo tribe can offer it. Especially if it follows a well balanced duel that ends in a draw, but past that, I am mostly at a loss."

The mystery wrapped around Sheik only continued to get more and more thick the longer we spoke. She speaks refined almost, well versed, and very dodgy answers when needed. She would be a King's worst nightmare or best friend if she were in politics depending on whose side she was on.

"Alright, well you have the main part of it. Why were you in the field last night? Not to mention being in the tree?"

"I had just left an argument with one I consider my second mother. She was saying things for my benefit, meaning only the best for me, but it was a matter that was my choice, she did not fully understand that. I became frustrated, well, angry, so I left. It was late, I didn't want to stay in Kakariko so I ran out and continued running till I became tired. By that time it was late, I didn't have time or energy to set up a site, and the ground is no place to be with the stalchildren and the occasional stalkin wandering at night without light nearby. The tree was the safest and easiest place to go. I've slept like that before," she finished a bit lamely.

"I would have never thought of it," I said honestly, who thinks to sleep on one branch that is in between two others to keep you from falling out? Absolutely genius…. another question hit me, "How long have you been fighting? And who trained you to fight like that?"

A small smile crossed her face, "My second mother, as I call her, the one I fought with before running out to Hyrule Field, taught me. She is among the upper ranks of the Sheikah. She taught me most of the things I know, there were some other instructions given during my training by other leaders of the Sheikah. I have been fighting since I became Sheik, so seven years." Her voice had become quiet at the end. She spoke so firmly about being Sheik when questioned, but there was a wistful tone about her voice when she spoke of the time before or the loss of that time when she became Sheik.

"I think the last main one I have, is where did you get that sword, who made it, and how do I get one like it?" I playfully bump into her, we've been around each other for a day and only been speaking to each other for a matter of hours, but I felt like we had been friends since we were born. I wasn't usually this open; the girls around me had noticed it, and I think Sheik had noticed the Gerudo didn't usually act like this.

This time she laughed long and hard. Not in a mocking way for asking, but as if it were a big inside joke she was about to let me in on. She calmed down after a couple moments and finally told me, "You can't find it in any stores, and there is no business that I can tell you to go to for the design. Everything about this sword was thought of and created by myself. I found the metal, forged it, made the handle and sheath for it." She said, looking slightly embarrassed.

"That's amazing! You did the design too?" I asked, and she nodded, "Wow, its wonderful, how long did it take you to finish?"

"Oh it's still not done. I do the etching when I have free time during travel, and then when I have a decent amount done I pour steel over it and then smooth it out and wipe off the excess so it doesn't mess with the integrity of the blade or how it cuts through the air or the balance of it." I looked over and for the first time since we had started walking and I notice her shawl is still down. Even knowing she isn't a guy, I don't think I would have guessed she was a girl if she told me that she was a guy.

"So I lied, I have one more question." I said and she looked over at me with a questioning but open look, "Why do you wear the shawl? If you told me you were a guy, I would have never guessed you were actually a girl."

She looked down "I have been traveling with a person I knew before I was Sheik, he very perceptive to details." I gave her a confused look and so she continued. "He knew me before I became Sheik, and now I'm Sheik and trying to stay Sheik to anyone and everyone around me, I cant let my shawl down around him incase he notices some of the similarities between my face and the person he knew before. I have made adjustments to my face, you see, but not enough really to fool him I don't think."

This threw me way off guard, so not only is she disguised and acting like a guy, she is doing it around a friend of hers that doesn't know she is whoever she was before she became Sheik? This is almost getting too confusing.

I decide to try and find a subject with some stability before moving back and trying to unravel her more, "So does this guy have a name? And were you two close?"

She looks at me with a half grin that tells me sarcasm is on the way. "No," she says loosely, "He runs around Hyrule and answers to 'Hey you!' and I cant really say if we were close or not…" she trailed off with a slightly confused look on her face.

Though she joked, used sarcasm and laughed, there was always a hard edge to her as a whole. This small show of confusion was the first real glimpse I got to what was under the hard mask. "Don't I get a name at the least, I doubt you will say much about him, but at least give me a name," I said exasperated. "Do you have that little trust in me? I wont try to steal him. And shouldn't you know if you two were close? I mean really, though it may have been the you before Sheik, have you forgotten?"

We still hadn't started moving again. She crossed her arms almost self-consciously and looked off into the distance. She looked back over at me with a set expression on her face, "Can I trust you? As a whole; with me, there is no middle ground, I can tell you everything right now, or I can leave right here right now. I've tried to play around the edges like I usually do with people. If you wont have that though then I have to know, can I trust you?"

_This must be huge for her..._ "I don't know…I'm tired of the same old same old with the Gerudo, I love our people, but weird things have been happening more recently the past couple years. We've been getting a lot of different messages from different people in the fortress. Our female leader Nabooru is mostly the same, she is as constant as she always was, but Ganondorf has just recently come back, well, he showed up ten years ago after being gone for something like sixty or seventy years. You can imagine our shock at finding out he was our long lost King, not to mention how young he looked for being almost seventy years old…more like forty-five…." I trailed off this time, _so much has happened within the past decade, a large portion of which I don't fully remember or understand still since I wasn't old enough to know for a large amount of it. _

She took in a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then said, "I am going to tell you what I know, and how I understand things to be, from there you can decide how you will proceed." She paused for a moment, motioned with her hand we should continue walking and launched into her memories from the time just before Ganondorf came to the castle, what he did, the attack on the castle, and then him breaking into the Sacred Realm and trying to take the Triforce.

_All sounded crazy to me, but there was sincerity and openness exuding from her as she said it all, I found it impossible to not believe her. She wasn't just connected to this story, she was intertwined with it; whether by design or her own doing, her fate was tied to Hyrule's. It wasn't much unlike how royalty…oh my…surely not, it must be impossible…_

I stopped walking, she had been done with her story for a short time and was letting me think through everything, she was ready for me if I stopped walking. She turned, "Princess Zelda." I stated. It wasn't a question; I had no doubt in my mind, despite the sheer impossibility of it being true.

"What about her?" Sheik asked, there was no waiver.

I half chuckled, "You play your part very well, my lady, however, you speak as one who is connected at the hip to her country, as though if it falls, you will die. I understand so much now, you must travel with the Hero of Time." I said, awe creeping into my voice, shock spreading completely over my face.

A matter of seconds later it was there for another reason, I was flat on my back with a knife to my throat and Sheik/Zelda on top of me. "As I told you, that is who I was, I am Sheik" an edge that could kill covering her voice, it was a lower growl than usual, almost animalistic. Not many things could strike fear in me these days, but this is and would always be something that did, even if it wasn't directed at me. It is a cold, calculated voice that expressed the capability to do whatever is necessary to accomplish any task, difficult or easy.

"I swear on my honor as a Gerudo warrior and as your Sister of The Blade, I will not tell anyone or anything the truth of your identity unless I have direct permission from you. Yes, you can trust me. I am no loyal subject to Ganondorf; he has ruined our people, possibly beyond repair. I had not mentioned it to the others, but I was hoping the Hero of Time might be in Castle Town, I was hoping to speak with him and try to help as I could… I love my sisters, but the things we are doing, by desire or command are usually not things of the Gerudo code. Most of our leaders have become corrupted and twisted. I was unsure how freely I could speak. Forgive me, my lady."

She shook her head and put the knife away, "If you wish to travel with me, you will have to stop calling me that, in private or otherwise. I am Sheik. For the time being, Hyrule can believe Zelda died on the day the castle was raided and destroyed. That is what Ganondorf must believe more than anyone else, that or gone over the mountains to escape from him."

"If I wish to travel with you?" I ask as she helped me to my feet, "What do you mean?"

"Well as lovely as your ladies are, I have work to do, Link should be finishing up at the first temple within another day or so, I promised to meet him once he came back out. If you wish to speak with the Hero of Time, you may join me and meet him. After that, if you desire you may return to your group, unless you would like to stay with us."

I looked at her in surprise, "You would ask that I join you two? Truly? It would be an honor. I have no true place among the girls I have been traveling with now. My leadership has been removed as fully as my hair and honor was, though it was a fair fight, the loss of hair is still the loss of honor. They will not see me fit to lead. However, there are those among them that can track a hawk on a stormy day, let alone the two of us on a soft field such as this. So we cant just run off…"

"What do you need from the camp?" she asked, I could see her mind working furiously behind her eyes.

"I have all my things in a sack back at the camp, as do you," I replied.

She shook her head, "No I have all my things with me," she patted a pouch the size of a head on her hip.

"No way, you don't have your sword or bag or any of the bigger things,"

"Yes I do, it's a very special bag," she said with a small wink. "Don't worry about that now, I have an idea but we will have to wait until your group goes to sleep."

"We always leave a watch, that we switch every couple hours," I said, _doesn't everybody do that?_

"Right, which is why you and I will take first watch tonight, to…continue our talk because we are still too energized from the duel to sleep. We'll leave after we are relieved." She said quickly. _She must be used to doing these kinds of things. If we hadn't done anything today, I have no doubt she could have been gone by morning if she wanted to be…_

"But why after we are relieved, why not while everyone is asleep?" I ask, it seems like after we are relieved we would have no chance of getting away unseen.

"Because by waiting until after we are relieved, it ensures your ladies are still guarded, and it also shows that we are still around while someone was awake. There will be no question that we never left the camp aside from the fact that we will be gone. Don't worry about being seen, it is taken care of. Now, we should head back, they are probably setting up for going to sleep, and they will probably get worried if we don't make it back soon." And with that, the two of us turn and head back to the camp of Gerudos.


	7. Chapter 7: The Joys & Pain of Friendship

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**Chapter 7 – The Joys & Pains of Friendship**

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><p>—<strong>Sheik's POV—<strong>

* * *

><p>Gwyn and I were finishing up our two-hour shift as the watchers. As we were talking about leaving before we headed back to camp, a thought hit me that made me realize just how dumb I could be from time to time. I had been waiting to escape by force when I was given the opportunity, and had completely forgotten I could teleport. When Gwyn mentioned some of the girls being able to track I sarcastically thought; could they track people if they leave no footprints?<p>

It took everything I had inside me to not openly face palm in front of her. _Why had I not already done that to escape? Its not like the ability to teleport is something you should be able to forget easily._ Once our watch had started, she had questioned how we were going to get away and not give them any chance at following us, and I told her not to worry, she would see. I didn't want to tip my hand in case there were any still up listening; they could know we were leaving, but not how.

After the final fifteen minutes passed, Gwyn went and woke up the girl who had volunteered for the second watch, the two of us stood up, and walked in the direction of our beds, I had placed mine near hers and her things had been placed in my pack along with my own. Once we lay down and were situated, I nudged her, grabbed onto her arm and my bedding and motioned for her to do the same.

I closed my eyes for a few seconds and concentrated on a part of the field a ways away from the camp. There was no motion or any evidence we had moved, except for Gwyn's soft gasp. I concentrated again on another spot farther away on the field, and once again, no feeling of movement, but a small gasp of surprise from Gwyn.

"Yes, we just teleported, no, it cant be tracked, and yes, now we can get on the move again. Answer all your questions?" I said with a voice that sounded like I was making huge effort to stay patient with her before turning to face her and cracking a wide grin at her. "Come on, it isn't that far to a small settlement I have friends at, we can sleep once we get there. Now we have two options, I could teleport us again to within a mile of the town, but you would have to carry me the last mile. Or option number two, we could walk the five miles or so and continue talking without you needing to carry me that last bit of the distance." I look over just holding in a laugh at her still stunned face.

"Ummm, you're small and all, but I don't think that would look too good, a Gerudo carrying in a Sheikah on her back. Besides, I'm used to being the one doing the riding." She replied with a wink. At this, I couldn't help but let out the laugh that had been waiting to run out of my mouth. _She is going to be a great addition to the group_.

We linked arms once more and headed off in the direction of the small town on the edge of Hyrule Field. We talked as friends, _something I hadn't done more than four times for a couple years, minus the short talks with Link_, we talked as girls _something I hadn't done for at least seven years_, but most importantly, we talked as sisters, which was something I had never done or a relationship I never had with anyone before. It felt even weirder because of the fact I had been so emotionless for over six years. It is freeing in some ways and absolutely terrifying in others, I'm still not too sure what I think about it…

We reached the town just before dawn and the inn was thankfully already open. I was welcomed back by the owners happily, and once I explained who Gwyn was, they accepted her with open arms more or less, well, less than they would a Hylian, but more than they would accept just any Gerudo from the streets. We ate a quick but large breakfast, booked a room with two beds and then settled in for a morning of sleep.

Gwyn fell asleep quickly; I had forgotten she had been going longer than me. Her feet had definitely been dragging by the time we walked through the door of the inn. She gained some life back after she ate, but she must have been unconscious by the time her head hit the pillow. She didn't even take time to change out of her clothes.

I laughed softly and then rolled onto my side. Yesterday had been crazy, last night had been some of the most fun I had had in a while that lasted more than just a couple hours… Gwyn had told me tons of stories from her childhood, thankfully she hadn't gotten out of the habit of treating me like a guy for the most part, or calling me Sheik, but I would have to be sure she didn't slip around Link.

I still wasn't okay with being close to people; I still shunted off any questions she asked about my past or anything too personal. I considered her my sister, but even family had the potential to turn their back on you, I know she will fight for and with me if needed, but that doesn't mean something couldn't happen and change everything… I'll let her be closer than most, but her and Link still have to keep their distance; I can't let myself get hurt again.

It was going to be tough though; there was a deeper connection than just friendship with her. Even Link and I have a relationship that is different than just a normal friendship. It's almost like I am becoming Gwyn's sister but Link's brother. If that does not ultimately leave me confused, I will be amazed. Even with me trying to keep my distance from those two, it is like Fate has taken a rope, wrapped it around us and then tied a slipknot in it, keeping hold of the loose end and pulling on it ever so often, pulling us closer to each other… No matter how hard I try to go against it, they just keep getting closer to me, and that scares me…

I finally drifted off to sleep at some point, my mind going like crazy up until that point so I wasn't sure when I actually fell asleep. Only that my dream was terrifying. Link was fighting Ganondorf in a room with the same painting handing on the walls that surrounded the platform he was stuck on. However, Ganondorf looked wrong for some reason.

Ever so often, Ganondorf would ride his horse into one of the paintings and up the road, He would then turn around or appear in a different painting and ride back down the road in it. Once he reached the end of the road, he would reappear and jump over the platform and shoot black lightning down onto the platform.

My body cringed as the black lightning hit Link, time and time again, the electricity flowing over his body, and his face contorted with pain. As he recovered Ganondorf's horse raced off once more and jumped into a painting again. Link watched all the paintings, his head on a swivel. As he saw Ganondorf racing down one of the paths, he reached back, pulled out his bow, notched an arrow and released it as Ganondorf and his horse came out of the painting. When it hit, the horse turned around and ran back up the path.

Link did this a few more times, sometimes being tricked by, apparently, a fake Ganondorf that ran down one of the paintings as the other Ganondorf did in a different one. After landing a couple hits, Ganondorf started floating above the platform. Floating? Ganondorf can't do that, there must be something else to this...

The Ganondorf raised his sword above his head and charged what looked to be a ball of…_energy,_ _I guess would be the best way to describe it_… After it had amassed a large ball, it swung its sword down and launched the energy at Link. He swung his sword and knocked the ball of energy back at the floating figure of Ganondorf. The ball went back and forth a couple times until it struck Ganondorf. He sank to the ground and Link rushed over and hit him a few times with his sword.

The Ganondorf rose into the air once more and repeated the attack again. This time, a few hits into it, Link mistimed a swing and the ball of energy enveloped him, dropping him to his knees and one of his hands supporting the weight of his upper body. Mercilessly the Ganondorf was already forming another ball of energy, Link pulled himself up, using his sword, and then staggered as he reached his feet. Navi was trying to distract the floating figure by flying in front of his face. _If I know her, she is making rude comments about his mother and family, Link has not done the forest any services with how he has corrupted that fairy…_

He is steady on his feet now, not a moment too soon, Ganondorf released the ball of energy and Link deflected it until it struck Ganondorf. He once again, somehow, ran over to the figure that was bent over and struck him repeatedly with his sword. As the figure tried to rise again, Link jumped up and brought his sword down on the figure's head and it crashed to the ground once more.

The intensity Link set into the fallen figure with would have maimed any normal person beyond recognition; the figure had stopped trying to get up and then ultimately laid still. Link took a couple steps back and then looked around as if startled. After a few moments, the body floated off the ground once more; _surely it can't still fight after a beating like that…_

As it straightened out in the air, it stopped, hovered for a bit, and then a dark portal opened up on the floor and the creature melted into the floor. A gate that had been blocking his exit previously dropped and Navi floated in front of him. Something passed between them and then he nodded and stepped forward into a small circle of blue light then disappeared.

My mind sighed with relief, Link was safe and on his way out of the Temple, finally. He will probably be in the mood to sleep for a while once he gets his feet back on solid ground and in a safe area again. But that would have to wait until morning. I closed my mind off and settled back into a deep sleep. Tomorrow would give time for conversation, stories, and, _thank the Goddesses_, more sleep.

* * *

><p>Thankfully, either Gwyn or I had enough brains to shut the blinds before we went to sleep this morning. If they hadn't been closed, we would have been awakened not too long after we fell asleep. There were no clouds in the sky over the small village and it seemed noticeably brighter than it had been the past few years. <em>Maybe its because of how close we are to the Forest Temple; the more Sages Link frees, the brighter it will become in Hyrule. Good, it'll be nice to get away from all this constant gloom.<em>

_Oh! Speaking of Link, err, thinking rather, Gwyn and I need to get ready and go meet him. He's more brawn than brain in almost any situation where he can't use his sword to get him to the next place. Probably went to Hyrule field last night to walk around and kill any stalchildren that popped up… _

_If that's the case then we'll let him buy lunch with all the rupees he farmed from those demons, they were ugly bests, but they had some pretty rupee on them usually, especially the bigger ones. _I half chuckle, mostly to myself, but the abrupt noise woke Gwyn up with a start and the only thing that saved me from having a knife to my throat were my reflexes and one of the knives always on my person, even when sleeping.

"Gwyn! Take it easy! Its me, Sheik, take a chill pill and get this knife away from my throat crazy!" I half yell, I can't be too upset with her because I know I would have reacted mostly the same way.

"Sorry, I didn't recognize where I was and something woke me up. I didn't mean to…" She mumbled, embarrassment rushing to quickly cover her face with a shade of red, _not too noticeable since her skin is already pretty dark._

I offer her a reassuring smile, "You're fine, I would have reacted the same so don't worry about it." I playfully punch her in the arm and add a soft shove before pulling my fist back, sending her stumbling some a couple feet. She smiles back at me and mockingly rubs her arm before starting to move around the room and pick up her things.

"So, what is on the agenda today?" She asks as she bends over on the other side of her bed to pick something up off the floor.

"Well, Link finished defeating the last boss in the Forest Temple last night, so—" she cuts me off

"Wait, how do you know that? Did a message come after I fell asleep?" She had stood up, a sock and shoe in her left hand and she was looking at me with a quizzical expression, "Was I that far gone into sleep?"

"Umm," I wasn't sure how to explain the fact I saw him in a dream to her without giving her an easy chance at making fun of me, "I have a weak telepathic connection with him, at times I can see what he is doing. Mostly it is during times he is under a lot of stress or in pain. I haven't pressed the limits much more than that so I don't know much more than you do."

She was still looking at me with confusion, "So did you make contact with him, or did he contact you? Or did it just happen?" I couldn't tell if she didn't understand, or was pressing for more information, she seemed to realize that there was more I wasn't telling.

"I was half asleep and I saw him fighting something that looked like Ganondorf so he was in pain and under stress." I said exasperated finally after looking at her for a bit longer before answering.

"Oooooh, so you dream about the Hero huh?" She smiled at me evilly, _even with me trying to explain it with the best light given to it; she twists it to the one thing I was trying to avoid. _

"Not on a regular basis, only when he's fighting or hurt. Besides its usually when I'm half asleep, after I see all there is, I fall asleep for real." I didn't feel the need to mention that the dream I actually had last night once I got to sleep was of Link. I shake my head to clear my head, trying to make it look like a shake of disbelieving she would think I would dream of the Hero.

"Anyways, I'm not sure where he is now, it will probably be best to go to the Kokiri Forest and see if any of those who live there saw him leave this morning. I doubt he would go to Castle Town, but he may go to Kakariko Village to restock on things." I say, all of our belongings picked up now, we head out of the door, pay the lady for the room, and thank her as we leave the building and then the village.

She had been wearing a thoughtful expression since we left the room, she finally turned to me as we walked farther from the village in the direction of the forest, "When you were talking about Link, you made it sound like he wouldn't sleep or rest or take time to recover from the wounds he got in the Temple before getting on the move again. Even with a couple bottles of red potion, surely he wouldn't be up for moving much for a day or so…"

"The Hero is a very strange young man to be sure. I know I told you he was asleep for seven years, but it was not just sleep in a bed, he was in the outer edge of the Sacred Realm. I have a feeling the Goddesses helped shape him some.

"You see, most people would sleep seven years and they would loose muscle mass, have brittle bones and other physical problems. The Hero woke up and ran, not jogged mind you, ran from Castle Town to Lon Lon Ranch in the middle of Hyrule Field, stayed awake all night, and then rode to Kakariko the next day, went for another day straight, dueled me, stayed wake that night also and still rode on to Kakariko with more energy than I had sleeping every night, and I highly doubt he slept while in the dungeon." I say with a small smirk on my face because of the expression Gwyn is looking at me with.

"Wow," she finally forced out, "How does he look? For someone to be able to sustain that rate of exertion and be able to fight through a dungeon, he must be a pretty great specimen to look at. Right?"

I chuckle lightly and my voice slips into a dismissive tone as I answer, "I haven't paid that any mind, he has a job to do, I must help him with it and be sure he makes it through all of this. Anything past that is extra, unneeded and unwanted."

"Surely you must have taken notice…you may dress like a boy, but you are still a girl underneath, yes? Our conversations in the past ten hours have been proof enough of that." She answered, disbelief coloring her voice.

"In all honesty, Gwyn, that is the first time in over six years I have spoken to another person as a girl, even alone, Impa and I spoke as we would in public; I as her nephew. I am not a boy, but if you play a role long enough, it becomes more like first nature than an act. Besides, if I formed any feelings towards him, it would make things difficult."

"And why is that? How would you forming feelings or noticing how he looked or anything like that cause problems or make things harder?" She asked with some force behind it.

I shook my head, _she's just not getting it, possibly because I haven't explained everything going on inside my head, but opening up like that is a definite no…_ "Listen, Gwyn. All he knows of me right now is I am a young Sheikah guy that knows some strange and random things that will hopefully be able to help him. I don't know how you ladies in the fortress get along, but in most of Hyrule, you don't like people who are the same sex as you, not that way at least."

A deep blush was the only response I received to that statement and I continued, "Besides, I have other reasons that I'm not as inclined to share for keeping my true identity hidden and not allowing feelings to form." I said it with a tone that suggested the end of that line of conversation. She took the hint and didn't press it.

We reached the entrance to the Kokiri Forest within a couple hours; it wasn't that far from the village we stayed in. I grabbed onto Gwyn as Link did for me and pulled her through the trunk behind me. There was a loud gasp as we came out on the bridge from her. It didn't affect me as noticebly as it did the first time.

The bridge was clear so we continued through the next one. Gwyn didn't gasp as loudly this time, but she still made some noise. It could be very disorienting if you weren't ready for it or used to it. We walked towards the middle of the groupings of tree houses, there weren't any of the Kokiri walking around, but it wasn't because of any monsters. None had returned since Link made a couple passes with his sword. The sky and ground looked well also, probably inadvertent effects of cleaning out the Temple.

We headed toward the house Link had pointed out last time as the main meeting place for the Kokiri. As we got closer, I could hear him inside. He was keeping his promise and telling them stories of his adventures. _I wonder if he told them he used to live here with them, that they are gathered around and looking at one with wide eyes that they used to make fun of…Link never said it directly or mentioned it, but there was enough pain in his eyes to tell years of things he went through._

I looked into the building and saw him, all the kids sitting in a partial circle around him on the floor. Mido was sitting close to him, and odd expression on his face that I can't quite make out. Maybe some fear, wonder, however it was clear to see his imagination was running wild as the stories were spun around him.

I look over my shoulder and Gwyn also has a strange look on her face. I'll have to ask her about it later, for now I look back to where Link is sitting. His face is lit up, he is making sure to make eye contact with everyone listening every few seconds, his eyes moving about as much as his hand as he motions.

Gwyn leans over and whispers to me as she takes in the scene, _"If he is half this good with his own kids, he'll make a great father someday…"_

I laugh silently, shake my head and give her a soft shove before quietly slipping into the room and lean against the back wall, Gwyn follows me in just as silently. He is explaining the ending of his trek through the Forest Temple. As he reaches the end, he explains the last bit that I saw in my dream and then took it past there.

He had been transported back to the Chamber of the Sages. When he explained that Saria had become a Sage, protector of the Forest Temple, he explained to them, they all gasped. Mido looked down slightly and then raised his head to look at Link,

"Sir, how did you know Saria's song, I didn't question you when you were asking to go through because I knew something was wrong, but there was no way for me to do anything to make it better. I figured that with the gear you have and that you know the song that you would be the best bet for making things better. But I'm still curious…" he trailed off slightly looking down once again.

Link looks over at him, "There is no need for you to call me sir, I was a friend before, and if you will have me, I still am." Mido looks up in wonder but with a startled look on his face, confusion and disbelief running rampant across his face.

"I am the same Link that grew up with you all. Mido—you were right, I am not a Kokiri. Ganondorf, the man that I have told you about is the one who poisoned the Great Deku Tree, I did what I could to destroy the monsters that had gone inside of him, but it wasn't enough. However, I have been back to his place in the grove and there is a young sprout that is very talkative and actually asked to see you Mido. Apparently knowledge is carried over between trees so he knows you are the protector of the Kokiri and their forest. He explained that I am a Hylian, at least in part."

I didn't think it was possible, but the wide expressions locked onto Link before became wider still. But none could match Mido. He couldn't have looked more surprised if lightning had struck him twice in a row. My own face had taken on a look of surprise. There we very few pure Hylians still alive, mostly there were humans and the mixture of different races added in, but what really threw me for a loss was the fact that I did not notice his pointed ears. Even as a child, _how did I not recognize that sooner?_

Link was looking around with a worried expression on his face, and then finally noticed me in the shadows on the back wall. His expression lightened some and got up to meet me and then he noticed Gwyn, she was wearing darker clothing and was deeper in the shadows, his expression became slightly curious but still was happier than it was a couple seconds ago.

The Kokiri were kept busy by looking over at him every once in a while and then returning to whispering to each other about Link being the Link they knew and how much he had changed. The object of their whisperings looked over his shoulder once before facing us again.

"Sheik, it's good to see you again, my friend. I was worried for a bit that something had happened when I didn't see you outside the Temple waiting as you promised," he finished with a small nudge on my shoulder from his fist. I could see a faint hint of weariness behind his eyes; he was doing a great job masking it though.

"Yeah, I was…" I glance over at Gwyn and continue looking at her as I continue, "unavoidably detained for a longer period of time than I expected." I look back towards him and motion with my hand in Gwyn's direction. "My I introduce to you Gwyndale Highrunner, she is a Gerudo," Link tensed slightly at this but remained mostly impassive and then bows to her by way of greeting, "She is my Sister of The Blade. It is a—" Link gave a start and then continued with something close to what I was going to say,

"A tradition that was established to help build deeper bonds between the races of Hyrule, usually recognized as Gerudo tradition because it was they that were most estranged and benefited the most from the activity. Formed after a duel, usually to the death, when one side felt there was more benefit to keeping both combatants alive and bringing friendship than letting a feud continue. After decades, the combatants themselves would offer the bond after achieving victory." Link said half dazed, half surprised. _What the heck? Where did that come from? Even I didn't know that much about it…if that's even true…_

Gwyn looked as surprised and confused as I felt. Apparently this was news to her also. "Where did that come from, Hero?" I ask, "That isn't common knowledge, or normal knowledge even for Gerudo from what I understand. How do you know that?"

"I don't know, you said Sister's of The Blade and I just, knew…" He said, still semi-dazed. I look over at Gwyn, "I think he is as lost as we are on this… Has this happened before?" I ask him. He shakes his head no. _Weird…_

Gwyn looks thoughtful but doesn't say anything. Those wheels are turning on that sharp mind of hers; she may have more to say later… I shrug my shoulders and turn to Link, "Ready to go, Hero?"

"You know I have a name right?" He said sounding slightly irritated,

"Yeah, yeah, are you ready to go?" I blow off his question,

_I know your name very well, better than you think, I prayed to the goddesses everyday you would be safe for the first year after you disappeared, then I couldn't bear the worry anymore and told them they would just have to do it without me asking, it hurt too much. Plus, my mind was too overwhelmed with anger and my thoughts too driven by the hope of vengeance. _

_I cried in secret after hearing your name, even mentioned in passing during that first year because, sometimes, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop that worry or fear that you were hurt or dead or captured…but this too passed as the anger flowed freely. Shortly after that your name would be the one I cursed because of your mistake in letting Ganondorf into the Temple, but that too passed as I turned the blame and hatred towards Ganondorf himself. Yes, I think I know you have a name and what that name is._

I struggle to keep my face composed as my thoughts run deeper than I meant to let them. Thankfully only Gwyn notices the slight shift in my expression. _Looks like I wont be the only one asking something later…oh well, give a little, take a little I suppose…_

Link shakes his head and moves off to say goodbye to his friends then gathers his stuff and leads the way out the door. Mido races up behind us and grabs onto Link and pulls him to the side. Once they get a ways away, Link kneels down onto one knee so he is a little more level with Mido. After a few moments Link shakes his head and puts his hand on Mido's shoulder and gives it a soft squeeze.

The young boy's expression brightens greatly and he turns and rushes back to the main meeting building, turning and waiving over his shoulder at us. Link rejoins us and though we look at him questioning, he gives us a wide smile and shakes his head to tell us it was nothing of importance. With that, we once again head towards the tree trunk that led to the bridge, which then led back out to Hyrule Field.

We passed through both without incident; Link pulled out his ocarina and played Epona's song. Gwyn now looked at Link with open mockery. Apparently, a guy acting like a kid while telling stories to kids that were years younger than him and then playing an instrument like the Ocarina were things she didn't think a guy should be doing, or maybe a girl shouldn't be doing. Even while being the person with the most in common with Gerudo, without being one, in Hyrule, I still don't understand how they thought sometimes…

Her look of mocking turned to one of awe as Epona gallops over the nearest ridge, half prancing through her strides, by the time she reaches us, Link already has a fresh carrot, _not sure where he got that from_, out and ready to be offered to his riding partner, She takes it from him gladly and then nips at his hat slightly before turning so he can give her the normal rub down he gives when its been a little while since they were around each other.

"Have you seen a horse to equal her Gwyndale? I know the Gerudo are proud of the horses they own, as proud of them as they are of the swords at their waist and the length of their hair," Link stated, once again, an odd look on his face. _He sounds older, like he knows so much more than he should as a seventeen year old guy who was asleep for half his life…especially knowledge about the Gerudo._

"Please, Hero, just call me Gwyn." She replied with a small laugh to her voice, "And no, in all the breeding I have seen, never have I seen one that looks to even come close to her. She is a magnificent beast." She conceded with a small nod.

"Then, Gwyn," Link replied, putting a little more emphasis on her requested name, "Even if Sheik will not be swayed, I do hope one who asks to be called by a different one than they have been called by, would not mind to return the favor, my name is Link. Hero, though I may be because of what I do, I am and always will still be Link. After I save Hyrule with the help of the sages and the races throughout Hyrule, will I still need to be Hero? No, I will need to be Link for the rest of my life though."

_That is the most I think I have ever heard him speak at once, other than the times he tells a story at least, those can go on for hours. Great way to help a trip go by quicker, he is always great at telling stories…_ Gwyn nods in response and turns to me, flashing me a quick smile as she continues walking around the horse examining more of her. I guess she finds nothing wrong because at least she nods mostly to herself and then comes to stand by me once again.

Rather than climbing onto Epona as I expected him to, he took her reigns loosely in his hands and than motioned towards the direction of Kakariko Village and said, "Shall we?" before turning and starting to walk in that direction. It appears Nightscream has returned to the stables. He might not be trained to come by the sound of a song, but he does know to return before it gets too late.

The conversation as we crossed the Field, started slow and slightly awkward, but before a full hour had passed, we were talking, laughing and sharing stories. Link enjoyed hearing about our duel; we left the stickier side of the whole ordeal out including where we ran away from Gwyn's old group without any kind of goodbye or forewarning. He absentmindedly wondered aloud how he would fare against Gwyn or I.

We looked at each other with a humorous look on our faces. I may have been the only one to have dueled him, but I could tell my skills far surpassed his. Gwyn just had the mindset of there being no possibility of a male being better at sword play, especially if it was a male outside of the Gerudo. There is also a finer side to dueling than just hacking away at creatures. As we walked, Gwyn began to question him on how he held the sword and then everything he did between pulling the sword from its sheath and putting it back in, plus some.

By the end of this conversation, the two of us had our heads together on what all we could teach him to help him improve. A scheming look passed between her and I inconspicuously from either side of him. _Link is going to get plenty of practice with fighting whenever we have the time_ I thought with a small grin crossing my face.

"So tell us, Hero, " he shoots a faked exasperated look at me and I continue speaking without pausing, "Exactly how long were you in with them telling stories?"

He looks at the ground sheepishly, "Well, I got out earlier this morning, and then instead of coming straight out of the temple, I ended up being transported back to the Sacred Realm, where the sages sit, and I saw Saria, she gave me another medallion to go with the one from Rauru. Hers was green though, green like the forest.

"After that, I returned to the place in front of the Great Deku Tree where a new sprout was growing. That was when I learned of how I came to be in the forest. My mother had been seriously injured somehow, carried me into the forest and then left me there to be taken care of. Shortly after we finished speaking, the Kokiri showed up. It was way before they usually got up, but there they were, all gathered around.

"As soon as they saw me, they all jumped back for a second and then crowded in around me after a bit of hesitation, asking a bunch of questions. The most frequent one was where Saria was. It was hard to tell them Saria wasn't going to be coming back, I made sure they knew she wasn't dead, but that she wouldn't be returning. Growing up here, with all of them, I knew how hard it was going to be to take it." He stopped talking for a couple moments. He worked to keep his voice composed and clear of emotion; it had started to become a little husky and thick with almost a hurting tone to it.

I silently and respectfully waited for him to continue albeit impatiently but then I realized, _He isn't just saying he knew because he understood why they would be upset or worried or sad that she wouldn't be coming back, he knew first hand what that meant and it affected him just as much as it affected them._

A few steps later he started again, "After they all heard why she wasn't coming back, they accepted it, most were still upset, but they knew it was the truth. Somehow, they could feel when I finished working within the temple, when I released and awakened the sage. That's why they came to the Deku Tree's grove. When I told them that Saria had awoken as the sage, they understood what the feeling was and what it meant.

"As we walked back, they asked questions about what all I had to do, the different things I had to face ad defeat, if I was scared, and just a ton of other questions any ten year old kid would ask. I answered what I could without giving them nightmares, and then left the rest up to imagination. My details would be a lot scarier than anything they could some up with on their own."

I've been watching him as he has been speaking. His eyes, like Impa and almost every other person in the world, show his emotions better than his voice or what he says or how he says it. As he was talking about the Kokiri, there was softness to them and a slight glazed look, like he is remembering memories past. All of these different sides to him, it was amazing how there could be all this under the surface.

He had continued speaking, "We got back to the main tree building and went in and sat down, I was there until you two came in. We were there for probably, seven hours? Maybe only six, I haven't been keeping track really. How long was I in the Temple?"

"As best as I can figure it, two and a half days. When was the last time you slept?" I asked him

"Haven't had a chance to yet, once you get into the temple, you're constantly surrounded by bugs and monsters and all that, there isn't any time or safe place to sleep. Most of my wounds have healed but my muscles are a little sore, and I'm getting pretty tired, you think we can stop for the night?" He asks shyly.

Gwyn and I look at each other; mine a 'I told you so' look and hers one of incredulity. He looked between us and laughed though he was not sure why we were looking at each other like this. She shook her head and looked at Link for a short time before looking off towards the horizon.

My attention flicks to Link and then I see Gwyn raising her hand pointing off into the distance in the direction we are walking. I follow her pointing with my eyes and I am thrown off guard, "How long has it been like that?" I exclaim. Death Mountain looked more fitting to its name than it ever had before, the normal clouds and smoke that surrounded the mountain had been replaced by a deep black smoke and there was lava constantly spewing into the air, some hardening into rocks as it flew through the air and then dropping back to the mountain side.

"It wasn't like that the last time I went to Castle Town, but that was almost a year ago." Gwyn stated with awe and fear creeping through her voice. "I wonder what has set it off? That looks violent from here…"

Link turns to me, "Is that where the next Sage for me to free is?" His eyes staring straight into mine.

I nod before answering, "Yes, Hero, that is where you are to go next. But before we go in, we will need to find a way to deal with the high temperatures inside the mountain and, consequently, the temple." It is a simple matter of fact that this is required, but I didn't say more or how to get it, because past that I really wasn't too sure where he could go to get one. _Maybe Kakariko carries some reinforced armor or something, as a Sheikah, I've never been worried about it much or paid attention to armor. _

"I saw that the Goron's have some heat resistant armor in their city when I was there as a child. I can go buy it; I collected more rupees than I can carry in my pouch." He smiled widely. I shook my head.

"Alright, lets get camp set up so we can get some much needed rest for the Hero and a little more rest for Gwyn and I." I state as I look at the sky more closely, the sun has made the majority of its' trek across the sky already, _time flew by quickly today_.

Gwyn and I set out our bedding while Link works to get the fire ready. He snaps his fingers and a small flame bursts into existence and catches fire on the dead wood. I gasp softly.

"How did you just do that?" I question.

"Din's Fire, I spoke with one of the Great Fairies and she granted me the ability to use it. It has been a very useful tool at many different times." He shrugged.

Gwyn's head had snapped around, "Wait, you mean to say you have met a Great Fairy?"

"A few of them yes, they have been great help and very kind." He answered, slowly warming his hands as he massaged them together. He then began working his hands over his arms and shoulders, apparently trying to work out some of the soreness.

We all gathered around as we began cooking food over the fire. It was small and not bright, but the heat it gave off was perfect for cooking with without giving the probability of attracting attention from prying eyes. The food turned out well, and Link turned out to be a very good cook. When Gwyn mentioned it, he smirked and answered,

"Yeah, well, when you grow up in your own home and have to provide for your own food, you learn to either cook well or eat food that doesn't taste good, sometimes I had to do both." Finishing with a wink and another smile.

We had allowed the fire to die down some, it was only casting a soft glow and a medium amount of heat now, but it still gave us enough light to see each other's faces. I was watching the Hero for any weariness, but it was then I noticed what I told Gwyn I was not going to, he has a very handsome face, _though it is mostly probably due to the lighting and my tiredness more than any attraction_, I think quickly before forcing my eyes to begin wandering to the darkness surrounding us.

We sat and talked a little while longer, the fire reducing more and more till it is only embers, Gwyn had already moved to her bedding and was lying down as she laughed or threw in comments. I was enjoying the conversation with Link so much that it was a while before I noticed I hadn't heard anything from her in a while, I looked over and saw that she was sleeping soundly.

I laugh slightly before turning back to Link. His eyes are closed, not in a tired way, but in a contented way, peaceful, relaxed. Jealousy sparked within me, _how is it, he can work through a temple filled with evil, see all the pain and torture so many people and still look like this. The innocence still in his mind, his seven years of peace and rest_, all of that together gives me a slightly sickening taste in my mouth. _It's all so unfair_.

"Would you like for me to take first watch, Hero?" A little more of an edge slips over my voice as I speak. "You have been going far longer than either of us have been put together over the past couple days."

He looks over at me, worry set on his face, "I am sorry if something has upset you, my friend, but no, I am still quite alright. I will wake you if you are needed. Rest well." And with that, he stood, turned and began to pull something out of his pouch on the side of his hip. As I moved to my bedding, I looked over and caught a glimpse of what it was. The pole I had thrown him for our first duel was in his hands. He moved and bent over to pick up some of the extra wood that he had gathered and put it on the fire.

At first, I thought he was about to put the pole on the fire as well, and a flash of hurt went through me for some reason. But he straightened again as the fire took to the new wood and he brought the pole up as he would a sword.

His eyes were still closed as he slowly began moving his arms through different movements. It looked as though he was stretching; but as I watched longer, I could tell that it was like he was fighting an opponent at a very slow pace. As I watched longer still, I noticed that many of the movements were ones I myself made, or very close to them with a few adjustments for the differences in blade width and style.

His movements flowed smoothly, fluidly even, one blow moving easily into a block and returning just as easily to another blow. _Maybe the duels will not be as lopsided as we first thought. If he fights half as good as this he will be jumps and leaps beyond where he was before he entered the Temple._

My eyes were quickly growing heavily as Link began picking up the pace that he moved. He was now moving into movements that I did not recognize as my own, but I knew I had seen them somewhere before. Sleep pushed my focus to the side and allowed dreams to become my reality.


	8. Chapter 8: The True Disguise

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**Chapter 8 – The True Disguise**

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><p>—<strong>Sheik's POV—<strong>

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><p>It was well towards the early afternoon before I stirred awake. As I slowly became conscious of my surroundings, my instincts kicked in and I rolled backwards from where I was laying and settled into a low stance. The sound of grunts, heavy breathing, and cries of pain were close. As my eyes adjusted to the brightness that was stunning my eyes, I realized it was just Link and Gwyn; the two had poles and were dueling, and very intensely at that. Gwyn had a light layer of sweat coating her body and a small smile on her face though ever so often as she blocked a few blows a strange look would cross her face.<p>

Link had a few bruises covering his arms and a couple on his neck and head. There were a few that had apparently been hard enough to draw blood, but he too had a smile on his face, maybe a bit larger even than Gwyn's. They still had not noticed that I was awake, so I settled back on my bedding and watched as they continued.

After half an hour of watching, I moved over to my bag and pulled out some fruit to eat as breakfast, or lunch, whichever you would like to call it. Link had certainly improved since our duel, and though I couldn't base what I was seeing on what he had looked like when they started, I would have to say that he was slowly getting better even as they dueled.

Ultimately, the two sticks were not up to the challenge of the duel and splintered in their hands. I couldn't contain the laughter that wracked my body as I took in their facial expressions, both jumped at the noise and their startled expressions made me laugh even harder. _Oh Goddesses, I haven't laughed like this in a while._

The both made their way back over to where I was and sat down. I looked between the two of them, both of their faces flushed from the exercise. Link was slowly beginning to get a faint layer of sweat on his face, but he still was not short of breath or showing signs of fatigue.

"So, Hero, did you sleep any? Or did you walk through fighting stances and such all night?" I ask after my laughter had subsided.

He coughs uncomfortably and begins to rub the back of his neck as Gwyn's head swivels around to lock onto his face. "What is this now? You told me Sheik took first watch and woke you up just before I woke up!"

"Yeah, I wasn't sure how –" He cut off as Gwyns hand connected with the back of his head. Rubbing it softly he looked between us before letting out a sigh, "No, I didn't sleep, I was too refreshed after everything, the sunrise was amazing, and it was just too nice to go to sleep by that time. You both were sleeping so soundly also that I didn't have the heart to try and wake either of you."

"I…but… You still haven't slept yet?" Gwyn sputtered out after a couple seconds. He shook his head with a small smile still on his face. Gwyn looked off away from us, muttering something like "…embarrassing that I can't flat out beat someone who hasn't slept for…" before she got so low I couldn't hear.

Link ducked his head whether because of shyness of in expectancy of another hit and then looked between us again with a small smile on his face. "You two should try it sometime, it is really refreshing and relaxing." He said trying to change the subject.

I decided to take pity on him and went with it, "What exactly are you doing, Hero?"

He stood up, and I followed suit as he motioned for me to stand. Gwyn just sat on the ground watching, a small smile playing at the edge of her mouth. He handed me a pole and then explained what he was doing before telling me to close my eyes and then he slowly walked me through it again. As I worked to remember the duel between Gwyn and I, I slowly started moving. As my blood started flowing, I felt my muscles tighten and loosen as my arms moved in the motion of attacks and blocks. It was soothing, and it surprised me.

The slowness of the motion was slightly taxing, but it also helped release tension. As I focused deeper on the duel from a couple days ago and walked through everything, I slowly began to lose track of time and the sense of everything around me. After what seemed like a few minutes, I was roughly pulled from my reflections by a loud yell, "Guard yourself, Sheik!"

My eyes flicked open to see Link standing a few paces from me with a pole in his hand. He started moving towards me and my limbs began to react. The movement was effortless, secondary, in all my years of fighting; I had never felt quite like this as I fought. The feeling lasted for a few minutes before I began to have to focus more on my blows and blocks. It was amazing the difference between the two, during those few minutes, I was not exerting myself; it was as easy as breathing. I looked closely at Link as we continued to duel and saw the same calmness there that I had felt.

I locked eyes with him and found that I could not read him as easily as I could Gwyn when I had dueled her. I still had enough warning to block and react, but I couldn't plan ahead on how to move from mostly defensive to mostly offensive. The easiness with which he moved, I saw the fluidity and felt the power behind the attacks.

He still left himself open for many attacks, which is, as I guessed, the way Gwyn landed so many hits and caused so many bruises on his body but it was still very impressive. As I thought of Gwyn, my mind registered where I had seen some of the movements that I hadn't recognized the night before; they were more along the lines of the Gerudo fighting style. I was confused at this because I didn't think he had ever seen a Gerudo fight before this morning.

My mind drifted for a bit before returning to focus on the fight once again. As we continued back and forth and I let loose a laugh. He may not have the experience that Gwyn or I do, or the training we had, but I dare say he is doing quite well. I jump back and disengage from him, laughter almost bringing me to the ground. _Where in the world is all this laughing coming from? I must be losing my mind._

Gwyn is watching me with a full smile spreading across her face. She chuckles, "It's a rush, is it not? Don't worry though; you're not going crazy, I had the exact same reaction this morning the first time he and I dueled. Took me a full ten minutes to finally calm down."

"So wait you've already been through this?" I asked as my laughing finally died.

"Yeah, thought I had a longer time of meditation." She turned her head towards Link, "You left her alone for an hour or so, but you let me meditate for what, two hours?"

Link nodded before turning to me with a smile, "Glad you enjoyed my form of practice and preparation. Now, let's take a quick side trip over to the river and get washed up before we continue on our way, we should only have an hour of walking to the river and then another hour on up to Kakariko."

He turned to start getting ready to leave before turning back, "Actually, Sheik, can you teleport with people?" I nod, "Excellent, how about you and Gwyn teleport ahead, I'll ride Epona so she can stretch her legs for a bit and give you both time to clean up. Sheik, I bet you can teleport into Kakariko, clean up at Impa's home and give Gwyn privacy before going back to walk her in to Kakariko so she wont get harassed by any townsfolk. I'll get into town as soon as I can."

Gwyn and I glance at each other and nod with a shrug of our shoulders. With that settled, we pack our things and then I teleport Gwyn and I off while Link climbs onto Epona.

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><p>Link met up with us shortly after we finished washing up, I ended up just going to the river with Gwyn rather than leaving her alone, since we were both women, though that fact is unknown to Link, it wasn't a big deal for us to have privacy.<p>

He took only a couple minutes at the riverside with his shirt off and pants rolled up to his knees before he dried off and returned to where we were sitting. He smiled as he pulled a new green shirt over his head as he walked up. Gwyn glanced over at me and gave me a smirk while bouncing her eyebrows. I give a light laugh in return and shake my head, focusing in the direction of Kakariko.

Now that we are all feeling refreshed, we start walking once again towards Kakariko. We talk and joke as lightheartedly as we can with the new look Death Mountain was giving off over out heads until we finally reach the gates that lead into Kakariko. I glance up and see a shadowed figure standing in the opening and, after getting closer, recognize that it is Impa waiting for us.

"The Gorons are in danger," She stated softly, focusing on Link, once we got close enough to hear her. T he smirk that was playing across his mouth falls off instantly, "Many have been captured and taken into the Fire Temple, Darunia has decided to follow to try to release any he can. It is most likely that he will enter the Temple before the morning sun tomorrow." She says as she turns her head to look at Link.

He nods, "Well, sounds like I need to get the things I am out of and head that way. Sheik, Gwyn, why don't you two stick around and work on figuring out what we will need to do next. I will restock on what I need and then head up the mountain to speak with Darunia; it will be nice to see him again…I wonder if he will recognize me…." He muttered the last part mostly to himself.

I pat his shoulder encouragingly and then move off towards Impa, Gwyn looks at me with an infuriated, questioning glance but follows my lead. Link bows to Impa and then moves off quickly towards the shops near the center of town. After he has gotten a ways away, Gwyn puts a hand on my shoulder and turns me to face her with a fierce look on her face,

"You are just going to let him walk into the temple alone, with no help, no back up or anything? How do you know there wont be things in the temple that he cannot handle?" She asked, "I know he is the Hero of Time, but surely he still needs some help. Even as Gerudo, we do not let a sister go into a battle by herself even if the odds are in our favor."

"There is nothing I could have said or done to convince him to let us come with him. He understands that this is his task and that he must prove himself to be worthy of the title Hero of Time. We will help as we can, but he must defeat the Temple alone. Besides, we do need to figure out what to do next." I answer and turn to Impa, I still hadn't forgotten our last conversation, but I had forgiven her the second I rushed out the door. I knew her reasons, but it doesn't change the fact that I needed to make my own choices now.

"Impa," I begin, "This is Gwyn, she is a Gerudo and my Sister of the Blade, I met her the night I left Kakariko. Gwyn, this is Impa, my aunt." I say with a small smile, I knew it wouldn't take any more than that for Gwyn to connect the dots.

I was right and understanding dawned on her face almost instantly, "It is a pleasure and honor to make your acquaintance Impa, I am proud to call Sheik my Sister of the Blade, in part because of your training. She is highly skilled, the best challenge I have ever had, and we are very well matched." She finished with a soft smile and Impa returned a quick smile and nodded.

"Why don't you two return with me to my house, we can get settled in to wait for the Hero's return, speak some and then get a plan for you all to start with for the near future." Impa said before turning in the direction of her house and motioning for us to follow her as she set off walking.

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><p>The three of us got settled in quickly enough and sat talking about nothing of great importance for the first hour or so. Impa finally turned to me and said, "So, tell me of how things have gone since you left." There was a touch of pain to her voice and I knew I was partly to blame for it being there but I pushed it aside and began my retelling of the events. Gwyn helped me every once in a while on things I forgot or didn't feel were important.<p>

Impa's eyes grew wide when she heard that Link still had not slept since he had awakened, but grew even wider when we explained what he did for rest. She was not quite expecting our laughter as we recounted the feeling of fighting after that. We spoke for a while on where Link was still weak, the things he could still improve on and the like with Impa giving suggestions here and there. Once most of that had been talked over, we moved on to planning.

I knew the next Temple Link would have to go to was the Water Temple; which offered two very large problems: how will Link hold his breath as long as he needed to, and how will he keep from just floating the whole time? At this point, Gwyn mostly just sat and listened while Impa and I related rumors we had heard and Impa related some of the myths and legends passed down through the generations of the Zoras. Ultimately, there seemed to be enough truth behind the Iron Boots that are said to be hidden in the cavern to the side of Zora Fountain where Lord Jabu-Jabu swims, and the Zoran Armor, which the King is supposed to have, that would allow Link to breath underwater.

As we finish discussing, I feel a pull to go to the mountain, it is very strong, almost to the point I have to grip the table to keep myself from teleporting straight up there. Gwyn notices my reaction and grabs onto my wrist.

"Sheik! Are you okay? What's going on?"

I turn to look at Gwyn, but instead of being able to reply, I teleport us both to a place near the entrance to the Fire Temple. Gwyn looks over at me with a startled look.

"What the hell is going on Sheik? Why did you just teleport us to the middle of a volcano?" She asks, her voice is a little shaky from being startled.

I look at her, "I don't have any idea, I just suddenly got a very strong pull to come here for some reason. I didn't even mean to teleport here, it just kind of happened." I look down towards the platform with the fire symbol on it and see Link walking near it. Once again, without thinking, I grab Gwyn and jump down near where Link is standing and we land silently.

As Link and I look at each other, I feel the ebb and flow of the lava around us, the heat, and the strength and passion that is contained within the movement of the semi-fluid rock surrounding the ground we are standing on. Words are called to my lips and they begin to move freely and I speak them without truly knowing what I am saying.

"It is something that grows over time… a true friendship. A feeling in the heart that becomes even stronger over time… The passion of a friendship will soon blossom into a righteous power and through it, you will know which way to go…" As I finish, I pull out my harp. "This song is dedicated to the power of the heart… Listen to the Bolero of Fire…"

My fingers dance across the strings, the melody is one that has a feeling of building to it, like it is rising slowly and it feels as though my heart is singing the harmony line. Link has pulled out his Ocarina and plays it, the harp and Ocarina sounds melding wonderfully, the lava around us almost seems to respond by flowing a little higher on some notes and then falling once more on others, I allow my fingers to follow the music my heart is playing. I notice that Gwyn is standing still and silently, watching us.

As the song finishes, I nod, the urge to come here has been satisfied and I now feel like I can leave once more. I say farewell to Link, grab ahold of Gwyn once more and then use a Deku nut to blind Link for a second and teleport back to where we had been when we first arrived. We watch as Link squares his shoulders and walks towards the entrance to the Temple. As he enters, Gwyn turns to me, "Okay, Sheik, explain."

I look at her for a second and as an idea hits me I answer, "Alright, but not here, its too hot to stay exposed out here much longer."

I grab her wrist again and then teleport us a ways inside the Temple, it is still hot, but not too unbearable since the surrounding rock is a little cooler. On top of that, my clothing is not only light, but it also somehow keeps me cool, and Gwyn, I know, is used to heat around this temperature. We teleport a couple times around the inside of the Temple so I can get a feel for the place and then sit down facing Gwyn.

"Zelda is the bearer of the Triforce piece Wisdom, Link bears the piece of Courage, and Ganondorf bears that of Power. By divine appointment, literally, my job is to help guide Link as he works to oppose Ganondorf. I'm guessing that part of the guidance is whatever I told him back in front of the entrance to the Temple, I say I guess, because I really don't have any idea what I just told him. I don't even know what the song was that I just taught him, but I know it was for a reason and that I was supposed to.

"The reason we are in here is because I am once again going to help give guidance, and you are going to help also. As I have been teleporting, I have noticed there are many switches and blocks scattered throughout this Temple with Gerudo symbols on it. I want you to look at these things and tell me if you know how they work, if so, we can go to each of the captured Gorons and give them information to pass on to Link as he saves them. I have no doubt Darunia will go to the main enemy to try to stop that problem and send Link to save his people from being eaten if he fails. Make sense?"

She nods her head and then lets a smile creep across her face. "Helping from the shadows then, ehh? I like it."

With that, we set off; for the most part we didn't run into any problems aside from a nasty yet humorous experience with a fake door. Gwyn was working to get away from a boulder rolling her way that I had already jumped out of the way from, went to open a door and got flattened beneath it as she turned the handle.

I figured she would be hurt but I couldn't keep myself from laughing because of the surprise, the look on her face, and the look I imagined I had on my own face. I rushed over and pulled the door off of her and checked to be sure she was okay, my shoulders still shaking lightly from the silent laughter I was trying so hard to contain. She didn't think it was very funny though for some reason…

After a couple hours, we had talked to all of the captured Gorons, explained what we were doing and promised that Link would be by to release them and to tell him what we had found but for them to not tell him we told them.

Shortly after we finished, I teleported Gwyn and I back to Impa's house. She was pacing franticly pack and forth muttering to herself. She made a few more passes before she realized we were standing there watching. Relief flooded across her face for a couple short moments before it set once again to an emotionless mask, her eyes still warring between relief, worry, and frustration.

"Where have you two been? And why did you just decide to disappear on me with no warning or goodbye or anything like that?" She asked, more emotion coming through her voice than she would usually allow. Her eyes were beginning to calm as she spoke though so I knew she would be fine once I just explained what happened.

I decided to mess with her a little bit first though, "Aww, that's so cute, you were worried about me?" I asked raising my eyebrows playfully, "And here I thought you Sheikahs were supposed to be so well controlled on your emotions." Laughing softly as I finished.

Her frown was twitching as she fought to keep it in place. Before the smile broke through however, I decided to give in, "Alright, alright, sit down and I'll explain." The three of us once again converged on the table and returned to our former seats before Gwyn and I had teleported.

"I explained this to Gwyn earlier, which by the way, I am sorry that I didn't give you any heads up that we were going to be leaving, I would have if I had known myself." I smirked lightly as Impa's eyebrows furrowed slightly, "Yeah, that's what I thought, you see here, we were, sitting, talking normally when a very strong urge came over me and it was practically pulling me to the Fire Temple. I gripped the table; Gwyn grabbed on to me and then we teleported.

"I think it was because I had a duty to fulfill as the guide for Link. I told him something, played a song and then the urge just went away. Gwyn and me are about as confused as you are, I can promise you, but that's what happened. Speaking of which, Gwyn, what did I say to Link? I meant to ask you that sooner…"

She repeated it back as well as she could remember. Hopefully she was slightly off because the way she made it sound made me blush. _I need to be more mindful of the things that come out of my mouth from now on… and what was the deal with that song and my feelings… _I push the thoughts aside and work to refocus on the conversation between Impa and Gwyn as she tells more of the story from her view.

The three of us talked for a bit longer about what we had done in the Temple, and explained to Impa what we had seen and discovered as far as traps and obstacles that were in there. After a little while though, Impa stood up and said she was going back to the Spirit Temple for a while. I nodded and told Gwyn to follow me up stairs so we could get our things set down.

I had a room in Impa's house that I would stay in while I was in the area and while I had been training with her. Since I had been gone for a while though, Impa had made some changes to allow her to accommodate more people. She had brought in multiple beds that were scattered throughout the room with room in between for walking space, and chests at the foot of each bed to place personal belongings in during the night.

Gwyn and I opted to push the beds aside and just sleep on the ground; while most would find a bed more comfortable, Gwyn and I had slept on the ground of harder surfaces for so long that it was now hard to get comfortable in an actual bed. As we are getting our things paid out, Gwyn starts laughing,

"Oh, what your servants will think when this all gets taken care of and you return to the castle and they come in to find you sleeping on the floor rather than your bed!" her body giving over to shaking from her half-contained giggles. I scowl at her, half jokingly, but half in earnest._ I don't enjoy thinking of the time when I have to return to being the Princess of Hyrule, or Quee—no, I'm not think about this now! How I hate this topic…_

Her giggles die down after a short period of time. She finishes laying out her things and then situates herself, cross-legged, on her bedding facing me. "So, how long do you think it will take Link to get through this Temple?"

My hands are still moving as I work to finish placing my things as I want them, but my mind is in a hundred different places right now, "Um, I'm not really sure. Maybe a day and a half, no more than two though, especially with the hints we gave the Gorons to tell him, he shouldn't take too long getting through the temple. Then it is on to Volvagia, the dragon the Gorons were telling us about, well, that is the main thing I am worried about, if Darunia hasn't taken care of him already that is, though they say the only way to defeat him is with the legendary hammer.

"If the Hero has to go find it, then that may push him back to the full two days. I doubt it though, even with that. Especially since we went through and gave hints."

"It sounds like you have a lot of faith in him." She half muttered to herself.

I look at her and give a small nod as our eyes meet, "Yeah, I do. He has been running with no sleep for this long and is still able to hold his own pretty well against each of us, I doubt a few monsters will be too much trouble for him. Even with the dragon, he will face much harder enemies before he is done; especially if Bongo Bongo keeps giving Impa the trouble he has been lately."

"Speaking of fighting…" I clear my throat,"Have you showed the Hero any Gerudo fighting techniques?" I asked after a bit longer. Her eyes flashed up to mine before she shook her head.

"No, I haven't shown him any; in fact, I was going to ask you the same thing. When I woke up this morning, he was walking through the steps of one of the harder fighting styles we learn, and he was almost perfect with his posture and execution. I mean; I know some of our masters who struggle with some parts of it still. I just don't know how he learned it or how he picked it up so well…" Her face settled into one of contemplation and confusion.

I just nodded, these was something strange going on with Link at different times and it was extremely confusing, there should be no way for him to know some of the things he does, plain and simple. The only thing that makes sense to me is the Goddesses giving him information while he was sleeping that just randomly can be called to memory or maybe it is something completely different; it's weird whatever the reasoning is…

"What did you think of his meditation and practicing methods?" She asked with a smirk crossing her lips. "Pretty crazy wasn't it."

I shook my head affirmatively a small smile crawling onto my own face, "I have never seen anyone do something like it, I have seen meditation and I have seen people walking through fighting stances, but I have never seen anyone do what he did. Did it feel like you could fight longer after following his advice?"

She nodded her head, eyes slightly glazed over as she thought back to this morning I guessed.

She cocks her head to the side a bit as she looks at me again, "I tried what we did when we dueled, you know, locked eyes with him to try to see his plans for fighting, his attacks and such, and I couldn't read him very well, just barely enough to block the hits before they came. Did you try it?"

I laugh softly, "Yeah, I did," my eyes focus in on my hands as they lay in my lap as I think back on the duel with him, "It was the same thing for me as it was for you. My only guess is he doesn't wear his heart or his pride on his sleeve like you and I do at times. My anger can be laid bare while fighting making me easier to follow and predict; your pride and confidence in your fighting can be seen. With the Hero, he…"

I trail off for a moment as I search for the right words,

"I guess he just keeps himself contained, calm, and almost disconnected as he battles, he is only doing what he must do to survive and complete what he has been chosen for. By him closing off from the fighting, he makes it harder to follow his plans and strategy."

Gwyn nods in response and we fall into some easy silence. My eyes wander around the room for a bit, when my eyes return to her, she has a quizzical look on her face,

"By the way, Sheik, I noticed before that you got a strange look on your face when Link was telling you he had a name. What was the deal there? If you don't mind me asking that is…" She looked down at her lap where she was picking at her fingernails anxiously.

I take in a deep breath and sigh. I was worried about these questions that have been simmering for a while. "I… To be honest, I don't know what to tell you." I scoff inwardly. _Yeah I do, it's just whether I want to tell her the truth or the easier explanation…_ I take a deep breath to calm myself. _It will be best if I am honest with her, because that is what you do with friends, tell them the truth…but I've had friends for seven years that I have been lying to…_

"You don't have to tell me," Gwyn's voice pulls me from my internal debate, "I know you keep things kind of locked away from people." Her voice is soft, reserved almost.

_This is a really strange way for a Gerudo to act, and especially after seeing how strong and fierce she seemed around the other ladies that were in her group…_

I tilt my head to the side as I look at her, _what reason do I have to not be honest with her? Is there really anything hurtful enough in what I have to say that should stop me? … Well, a few things, but I'll steer clear of them; I will be honest but stay disconnected from it. That is what I have done already anyways; disconnect myself from the person of Zelda, treating her memories as though they are some one else's memories, her personality as someone else's traits._

Gwyn is still looking at me with confusion and gives a light, nervous laugh, "Umm, Sheik, you alright there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's…that is a bit of a hard question," I'm still mostly stalling and I look away from her face for a moment. _How in depth do I go with this? _I take a few breaths to clear my head and look at her again,

"There have been many things that have changed since Ganondorf came to Hyrule Castle the first time." Pain tore through my heart as my thoughts went back to those times,

"_Disconnect" _I tell myself, _"You are no longer Zelda, they weren't you're parents, but what happened was wrong and unjust." _A flash of hatred and anger flows through me, _"Yes, that's better."_

My eyes drift to the wall behind Gwyn and I focus in on one of the boards as I work to gather my thoughts once again. Anger, hurt, disgust, loss and hate swirling to the front of my mind as I worked back to where I felt I should start.

"Zelda was a young, naïve princess," Gwyn's head tilts and her eyes cloud over with confusion as I begin but she doesn't stop me. "She thought that, as a nine year old, she could take on the word, change it, make it better; she thought she could take on a fully grown man and keep him from getting what he wanted. She thought that, instead of talking with adults, that she and a ten-year-old boy with a sword, shield and a fairy over his head was all it would take; the most foolish ideology that the bearer of wisdom could have."

My bitterness was slowly seeping into my words, becoming thick with the hatred I held within my mind of those times, her memories. _Who was she; the 'Princess of Hyrule', the 'Bearer of Wisdom' to think she could make choices that would ultimately destroyed a nation, kill the two leaders, and send a generation of people into a time of utter darkness and fear. Who did she think she was?_

The anger and hatred was building within me, it's power surging through my thoughts and I felt stronger as I spoke _Foolish girl, and her foolish thoughts and actions_.

"They failed, as you well know, to keep Ganondorf from entering the Sacred Realm, her parents and most of the people within the castle that day were killed, and she was exiled as she fled to hide from the problems she caused."

I laughed scornfully as I tell of how Zelda thought at the time that she could pray that the Goddesses take away the suffering, to keep Link safe and they actually be fulfilled. How after a year, she finally gave up on that, telling the Goddesses to take care of him themselves, because she couldn't bear to worry about it anymore. She then moved on to cursing Link, his foolishness for opening the seal and allowing Ganondorf the one thing he was after. I talked for what seemed like hours, my voice finally starting to become hoarse from the inflection and the mocking, hate filled tone I was constantly using throughout it.

"The end of her naivety and weakness, and the beginning of her hatred is what brought me into fullness." I said as I spread my arms wide to either side of me with a wry smile on my face.

Gwyn's expression had moved into one of total shock, not that I was paying much attention to her as I spoke; too wrapped up in the memories I had tried to cut away from myself.

My mind cleared slowly as I finished and I finally focused once more on Gwyn. She had shifted away from me some, her body tensed slightly and almost defensively. I took slow breaths, my eyes closed as I worked to calm down once more. A few minutes later, I look back towards Gwyn, her face was mostly passive, but there was a look of fear mixed with worry. My mind recounted on what I had just said and how I had said it and almost instantly dropped my head in shame.

"Sorry," my voice practically a whisper, "I got a bit carried away there. Like I said, it's a very tough subject for me to talk about…I'm not crazy though, I promise" As I looked back up, she just nodded in response.

_Good enough for me I guess._.. We sat in silence for a bit, I worked to calm myself more after my long-winded explanation. It was a little uncomfortable, but it worked for the time being. I looked at her once more and thought back over the past couple days. She had a thoughtful expression on her face.

A few more short moments of silence and then I mumble something about going to bed. I twist around and lay down on my side facing away from her. My anger had drained, and apparently, it took my energy with it. I was asleep in hardly any time at all.

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><p>Grey mist swirled around me. – – Something about this seems familiar…<p>

My eyes slowly begin to adjust to my surroundings and I once more found myself standing in the Chamber of the Sages. Though it was only a few days ago, there has been a small change, there is not as much darkness here now, a bright beam of light is enveloping one of the pedestals; the sage of the Forest Temple has been awakened.

I see a shape shift within the light; my eyes adjust to looking at the brightness and I see a young girl, _this must be Saria…_

She has a comforting, kind smile on her face as she looks at me, hands clasped behind her back, her green tunic clinging cutely to her frame. Her eyes though…they are almost like deep pools; there are innocence and naivety, but also wisdom and strength flowing beneath their surfaces.

"Well met, Zelda. Since you have been traveling with Link, I am sure you know already, but I am Saria, the Forest Temple sage. Thank you for your part in helping Link release me, you have a larger role to play in the history being made than you yet realize." She pauses and gives a knowing smile, leaving me with an undercurrent of questions and wonderment at these words that drags my mind away from our conversation. _What in the world does she mean by larger role than I realize._ My desire to voice my question is overruled, however, by the feeling that now is not the time for questions.

My attention is drawn back to her by a whispered "Listen!" the smile still playing across her face. It is not a taunting smile, but one like a parent would have before they let their kid in on a huge secret.

"You flow with words of Wisdom, because that is your office, your job, and your divine calling; to guide the Hero and speak Wisdom. But you do not live Wisdom as of yet, because you do not know how. Hate clouds wisdom, and anger drives it away. But there can be no Wisdom without knowledge, and no true knowledge without experience.

"Do not think of naivety as a weakness, but an opportunity, do not view innocence as worthless, but perspective. The world is pure, with a few blemishes, not a shattered piece of pottery with only a few pieces still intact. To guide, you must believe, and to believe you must hope.

"Though you will not understand everything now, it will become clear. What you have suffered is great, and it is unfair, but do not see it as hopeless, see it as hope giving. Your true disguise is not the physical transformation you hide inside of, but the emotional and mental transformation you are forcing upon yourself. Until you accept your disguise is just that, a disguise; something to be hidden behind, you will not know your true strength, nor will you be able to know your true heart.

"Today may be dark, but you hold the light to bring a brighter tomorrow." Another knowing smile crosses her face as if she told me a joke that I won't understand yet; it's almost frustrating.

"Remember these words well, Zelda. Though you must still experience things, it will come easier if you remember the words of wisdom you have spoken yourself and have heard from others."

Grey began to swirl around me once more

"Remember well, these words" a voice whispered as my vision faded out.

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><p><em>The final Goron we spoke to, hands Link the key to the room that contains the Volvagia. Link thanks him as he turns and runs back to the main room where he first saw Darunia. He jumps across a pillar and comes to a stop at the door. He unlocks the door and as he swings it open to the side—flames almost instantly engulf him.<em>

My vision goes black.


	9. Chapter 9: The Heat of Battle

**Quick A/N: **Working to show more mental confusion with Zelda so I will have some thoughts in normal _italics _and the more repressed, closed off, cynical thinking from living as Sheik in _**bold italics**_. Both are her, just showing the conflict between herself a little clearer hopefully.

Thanks and enjoy!

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><p>x<p>

**Chapter 9: The Heat of Battle**

x

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><p>—<strong>Sheik's POV—<strong>

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><p>I'll admit it, I stared with open amazement for a few minutes; I have heard stories, but never, even during the late nights I stayed up and my imagination ran wild, did I even consider fighting a dragon to be this…awe-inspiring. Well, not me fighting a dragon, but watching it is more than enough for me.<p>

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><p>—<strong>Link's POV—<strong>

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><p>The excitement that had settled over me as I walked to the final door that led to where Volvagia was supposedly being held quickly vanished as the door swung to the side and my vision was wrapped completely by a large blast of fire. There was no chance for me to move or protect myself and so I was forced to wait as the flames moved to surround me, the flames ripping across my exposed arms and face; the heat and dryness of the air tearing at my lungs as I took a final breath. The pain registered for only a few short seconds before my world was encased in darkness.<p>

My eyes flutter open after a minute of respite and slow breathing to help my heart return to its normal pace. _Must not be dead if my heart is still beating, so that must be a good thing, unless your heart still beats after you have died… _I push myself up off the ground from where I have been laying and try to look around, not succeeding since I cannot even see the end of my nose. After spinning a few times to see if there is any light visible, a soft glow appears right behind me, slowly growing brighter as it circles from around my waist up near my head.

The brightness had grown slowly enough to allow my eyes to adjust enough to clearly see the fairy that had circled around me. She came to rest right in front of my face and, with a mischievous smile, kissed my lightly on the forehead. Warmth flowed from my head down through my body as I felt life return to my body. It is an amazing feeling to experience when you have been dead without knowing it and then life begins to flow through you again; showing you just how dead you were and how great it is to be alive.

My heart starts beating stronger, and the darkness surrounding me slowly fades to show where I had been standing only minutes before. The door was still open but a few feet into the room a thick cloud of smoke hung in the air making it nearly impossible to see much in the room. Situating my shield and pulling out my sword, I step into the room, Volvagia may have gotten the drop on me, but I don't have an option to turn back now. The farther I get into the room, the more it is like wading through the smoke rather than walking through it because of how thick it is.

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><p>—<strong>Sheik's POV—<strong>

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><p>I was proud of myself, when I woke up from my vision, that I did not scream, or wake up screaming. If I had, Gwyn would have either attacked me, or the lamp that was on the floor near her. I haven't decided which would seem more threatening to her, the loudest thing, or the shadowy something looming over her…though I'll admit; I didn't take the situation so lightly when my eyes first opened earlier this morning.<p>

The top of the sun had already crested the horizon and the sky was a very light pink and blue. Birds were already singing and my mind was swirling like a leaf falling from a tree and the first few thoughts through my head were terrifying. _Does this mean Link is dead? __**Maybe it was all I was supposed to see**__? Should I go see if he is okay or am I supposed to just wait? If I do go, will that make it to where he is not doing what he needs to by fighting in the Temple alone?_

My thoughts had worked me into emotional turmoil and I was not okay with that. The past couple days have been way too emotionally charged for me, my mind is not working clearly or logically right now. I took a few deep breaths and worked to calm my mind. Me freaking out without knowing how he is doing will not help either of us. After a few moments, I had regained a semblance of clarity of mind and was sitting cross-legged on the floor watching as the sun slowly moved across its normal path. _The only thing that I can do and not feel bad about doing too much or not enough is to teleport up there, make sure he is safe and then come back, Gwyn will probably be asleep a bit longer, and that will help me not worry as much about Li—__**the Hero. Not that I'm worried whether the Hero is okay or not…because that is not really important, just if he is alive or not, because…he is the one that has to make it through the Temples, not Gwyn or I. If he is dead, then Hyrule is lost.**__ Yeah, that is why I'm worried… …right? __**Yes.**_

I shake my head, deciding the why isn't important right now, as I stand up and begin getting ready for going to the mountain once more, being careful to stay quiet enough to keep from waking Gwyn. *It was at this point that I had noticed how close she was to the lamp and began to ponder whom she would take as the bigger threat, me making noise or the lamp stretching over her.* Lightly chuckling, I focus on where I had last seen the Hero of Time in the vision that startled me awake and teleported there.

The door was still left wide open, I had arrived just to the side of it (thankfully), so I didn't have to worry too much about being blindsided with no warning like the Hero was. I move cautiously into the doorway and look in, or try to at least. The visibility in the room is hindered a few feet into the room, the dark, gas–like substance is thick, but looks like it is almost swirling. There is definitely movement in the room and I can just make out a pair of shadows as light flashes at random intervals, traveling in a downward motion. I glance around outside and don't catch any sight or Link, so I guessed, _or would it be 'hoped'_, -_**shut up-**_ that he is the smaller shadow that can be seen running around. Taking in a deep breath, I step into the swirling mass of smoke, eyes trained on the ground as I slowly put one foot in front of the other, testing the ground to see if there are any weak points before committing my entire weight to that foot. The farther in I move, the quicker the smoke moves and the thinner it gets until I am standing just on the edge of the smoke, watching the battle unfold before my eyes.

Once again, I admit, I stared; for minutes watching in awe as everything the fairytales tried, _**and failed**_, to capture with the daring, handsome Hero fought off the evil dragon. _Well maybe they got the daring and handso-__**nope, just daring, I'll give him that, certainly not handsome, cute, as a kid, yes, but nothing past that.**_

The flashes of light I had seen from the outside were flaming boulders dropping from the area Volvagia was circling above the platform that the Hero was running back and forth on. Just as a boulder got close, the Hero would roll forward or jump to the side and allow it to smash harmlessly on the ground. There were a number of holes filled with bubbling lava that he was also dancing around. After a few circles and many boulders, Volvagia turned towards the ground and disappeared into one of these holes. The Hero's head moved back and forth between all the holes, as Volvagia popped its head up, I was expecting him to move but instead he waited. Before I had a chance to wonder at his lack of movement, Volvagia quickly disappeared once more below the surface before appearing once more right next to the Hero and then repeating the disappearing and reappearing act. Now Link jumped into motion, drawing a large hammer from his side and bringing it down harshly on Volvagia's head before strapping it back to his side and beginning to slash at the neck of the dragon with his sword as its head lay on the ground working to recover from the blow.

I may have planned to only come and make sure the Hero was still alive, but now watching him face this dragon…there was no way I could leave. _Gwyn will kill me for not waking her up and bringing her along, but…wow, I would have never guessed how intense battling a dragon could truly be_, _**yeah, sure, he's wonderful, lets give him a cookie**__. _ I stood and watched as the Hero continued to battle, dodging, rolling, and moving quickly when the dragon had stopped moving between lava holes. After a few minutes however, the heat became too unbearable and I had to leave. It was impressive, but I knew the Hero had things well in hand, he would have no real trouble defeating Volvagia; even after his rough start. _**Very rough start.**_

I teleported back to the room, Gwyn was still sleeping and I saw no reason to wake her. I worked to once again re-center my mind. I needed my logic and straightforward thinking to take over again, I had gotten way too caught up in being amazed by the Hero fighting, _**well, it wasn't his fighting that amazed me, it was**__…him fighting a dragon? __**There is a difference, I wasn't amazed by him**__…__**just his fighting**__…yeah, he was doing a lot better than I expected him to__**, well, only a little better than I expected, it wasn't really all that great**__…did I just contradict myself?_ I shake my head and sigh, _**I should not have to work this hard to convince myself what I am and am not amazed by, this is just sad.**_

I look over Gwyn once more as she sleeps and then turn and walk out of the room to find Impa. Thankfully, finding her is not very hard; she is sitting at the table in the main room and looks up with a smile on her face as I walk in. I glance at her for a second and mumble about needing a ride and time to think. She chuckles softly as I shuffle towards the door as many years of similar occurrences have helped her grow accustomed to these random needs for riding. As I walk out the door I hear her say that she will tell Gwyn if she wakes up before I return, my mind to busy being overrun by thoughts to respond as I close the door behind me. _**Unproductive movement always clears the mind, especially when I don't have to exert any energy for it, **__is this clearing my mind, or running from something I don't really want to face…__**ride now, think later.**_

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><p>—<strong>Link's POV—<strong>

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><p>Even with the heat resistant armor making the volcano bearable, it definitely was not helping make this battle any cooler. The temple was bearable, but having a dragon breathing fire at you and dropping flaming boulders on your head tends to heat things up a bit more. Thankfully once I had pushed past the outer part of the smoke the air cleared up. Volvagia had been circling the air above the platform I'm on now continuously and helped cause the air to move enough to push the smoke out a ways. Fighting it in thick, dark smoke would have bordering on the impossible.<p>

I could tell that Volvagia was beginning to tire, honestly, I was surprised it was still moving after all the times I had hit it with the Megaton Hammer. I had the unpleasant experience of accidentally dropping it on my toe after defeating a particularly difficult enemy; needless to say, I had to use half of one of my red potions before I could even consider moving my foot again. Thankfully I had a boot on so I didn't lose the contents of my stomach from what probably would have been a disgusting sight. Random trail of thought aside, impressive on the dragon's part

Volvagia had just brought his head up out of a lava pit right next to me so instead of waiting like I usually did for him to go back down and then reappear somewhere else, I dropped the hammer head on him and then set into slashing his head with my sword. The scales had weakened slowly but with my last strike, the sword cleanly sliced off his head, the upper part of the body still sticking out of the lava hole whipping around before settling back into the lava, the head turning to what looked like ash and then settling to the ground in a pile of formless dust.

I looked around and watched as the lava cooled and the heat in the immediate area dropped considerably, almost to a comfortable level, though I would never consider coming here for a vacation. Navi floated over to me and gave me a quick but tired smile, she had had to stay on her toes the whole fight, Volvagia was snapping at her almost as often as it was blowing fire at me. She slid under my hat and began her well-deserved nap as I walked toward the circle of blue light coming up from the ground. The feeling of being taken to the Chamber Of The Sages was a very welcome change from the heat I had been in for the past day. My eyes closed as a smile formed across my lips, I was one step closer to returning Hyrule to its former glory, I was about to receive the third medallion and then it was only three more to follow.

_Hopefully Sheik and Gwyn have worked out what we need to do next. If I remember correctly from the first conversation I had with Sheik, it is the Water Temple next…I'm not too sure if I am ready for that yet, as I still don't understand what the whole stone thing was with that Ruto girl was all about either. Maybe Sheik knows, he always understands a bunch about the different races across Hyrule. That will have to wait though, wonder who the Fire Temple Sage is…_

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><p>—<strong>Sheik's POV—<strong>

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><p>The two-hour ride was… refreshing. It is simply amazing how relaxing it can be to just be in motion without thinking much about it...<em>did I think at all<em>? Running or just going riding on Nightscream is two of the best ways for me to clear my thoughts. The way I picture it, I start moving fast enough that I can outrun all the thoughts bugging me _so no, no thinking done, _for a little while and just focus on the rhythm of either my feet or Nightscream's hooves as they move across the ground _comforting, yes, __**helpful, to my sanity**_. I have found that running is a great stress reliever but climbing on Nightscream's back, grabbing the reigns and then letting him run where he wants to while I just hold on and lose myself in his breathing and the sound of him running.

_So, I didn't work any questions out or make any real progress_, _**no, but it was nice all the same**_. By the time I got back, Gwyn was up and getting around the house. Breakfast was sitting on the stove in the kitchen, Impa had gotten really good at judging how long I would be away on my rides or runs and would usually have food ready for when I got in depending on the time of day. The three of us sat down and ate together; Impa and Gwyn asked about the ride but didn't press too much. They did however almost choke on the food they were eating when I told them about the vision I had the night before. _Maybe I could have chosen a bit better timing in telling them about the vision blacking out after he was engulfed in flames__**, ehh, oh well**__. _

Gwyn was slightly disappointed in the fact I didn't wake her up and missed out on the chance to see Link battle a dragon, especially one that even the Gerudo had heard stories of, but in the end appreciated getting a bit more sleep a little more than being woken up.

I was about to retort when the ground began to shake, all of Kakariko seemed like it was about to be ripped apart. Rushing outside the house, we look around before turning to face the mountain and see the volcano looking like it is about to erupt, or already has begun possibly. As we stand watching, a pillar of fire blasts into the sky. Over the roar of the fire shooting into the sky, Gwyn yells over to Impa and I, "This is either really good, or really, really bad…"

The fire blasts a hole through the grey clouds and sky that are hanging ominously over Kakariko and Death Mountain showing a clear blue sky just beyond the dreary cloud cover. It continues to stretch upward until it flows into the blackness of space. The dark sky begins to be pulled inward towards the pillar like a vacuum before it is drawn in completely and disappears leaving behind the clear blue skies we have been missing or so long.

Impa turns to Gwyn, "I'd say that would be considered really good." Gwyn chuckles nervously as we shield our eyes from the returned brightness, "Yeah, I think I would have to agree."

As I squint my eyes, a smile grows across my face. _Well done, Hero, I knew you could do it, __**with only minor doubts**__, but seeing how big of a difference you have made in this area with just one enemy defeated and Sage freed, hope is returning as surely as the bright sun and blue sky. _I look over towards Gwyn and find a smile that is similar to the one I feel on my own face and nod at her. _Yes, hope is returning._

Impa turns to us, "I must return once more to the temple, Bongo Bongo is slowly growing more powerful, I must reinforce the bindings on his prison." She glances at Gwyn for a second before nodding and turning back to me, "I feel I can trust this information to you two and Link if you feel the need to tell him, but somehow, he is being fed power from another realm."

She turns to face the well that is placed in front of the windmill, as she continues speaking. "The darkness is taking on more of a living personality, not breathing per se; but thought and survival is almost radiating from the shadows in the temple. Evil is moving within the dark, and it is slowly growing stronger. Ganondorf entering the Sacred Realm may have had a bigger effect on it than we first thought. I will have to do some checking back through the writings of the Sheikah to see if there is any more in depth recordings or legends of what happens."

With no further words or parting comments, she deftly launches a deku nut at the ground and disappears.

"Great, and my eyes had just now finally adjusted to the new brightness here and she goes and pulls that." Gwyn says in a mock tone of disgust from next to me as she rubs her eyes slowly.

I chuckle in agreement as I slowly mimic her actions. After all the years of using them, it still throws me off by how bright they are when I'm not the one using them. As my eyes finish readjusting for the second time in the past ten minutes, I look around at the village. It has changed a lot in the past seven years. Before the attack on the castle, it was small, not a major trade area or where just a whole lot of people came. There definitely were none of the larger shops and such as there are here now. From what Impa said, before this it was only open to the Sheikah, communal living in the few buildings that were built, crops grown in some areas, livestock allowed to roam freely, overall, simply peaceful. Impa said she thought that was what led to the Sheikah's downfall; they had become complacent and relaxed during the time of peace. They were still well trained as children, but as the children grew older, they didn't continue practicing or growing stronger leaving only a few in shape well enough to truly protect the royal family and train the children. When the time of war did come, reflexes weren't as sharp, nor were their blades, and most fell in the first sweep of the castle, those surviving being called into retreat by Impa as we escaped from the Castle.

"Alright, Gwyn, I need to go check on how the Zoras are doing, but since Link will come back here once he comes off the mountain, You should probably stay here and wait for him so he doesn't get lost and just go run around Hyrule Field all night fighting Stalchilds till we come and find him. Go teach him some of your famous thievery or something." I flash Gwyn a sly smile to show my joking manner.

A look of indignant pride and hurt flashes across her face before she breaks into a grin, "Hey now, I will have you know I have not stolen anything from you or Link the entire time we have been traveling together, thank you very much." She responds before giving me a light shove on the shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah, it just hasn't happened yet, I know how you work, lull us into a sense of false security and then strike hard, don't think you can pull the wool over our eyes that easily, I sleep with one eye open to watch you, you know." I lightly bump her back.

"Ha, yeah, but you would have two to watch me with if your other eye wasn't so focused on Link. I bet half the time, both of them are actually on him instead of me!" She retorts with a wink and a playful, evil grin and then she takes off running, cackling madly, before I have a chance to grab her. _**Cheeky little…I do not watch the Hero that closely,**__**nothing even remotely interesting enough about him aside from how he fights.**__ He treats people like any good and caring person should, __**nothing special there. He is too easily distracted when you are trying to talk with him because his eyes wander**__; well maybe there is another thing that is interesting about him. His eyes are so full of, strength, life and the joy of living, such strong emotions bursting just below the surface of the deep wells there. _

'The clear water's surface reflects growth.'

_**Strange way of thinking about it, but I suppose that is a good way to explain it,**__**though with him there isn't much growth to see**__. His hair is nice too, __**I suppose**__, __**little too wild usually**__, and that most infuriating grin he wears sometimes…_

"So, still thinking about him, eh?" A voice right next to my ear asks as I yelp and begin to run away from whoever it is that is behind me. I only make it a couple steps before I hear Gwyn laughing raucously. I turn to see her bent over holding her sides as tears slowly fill in her eyes from laughing so hard.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, I'll be sure to remember this for whenever you show any interest in a guy. Just wait, you, we Sheikah repay tenfold what we take."

She shuts up quickly and straightens up to face me with a calm face. Just as I start to sigh in relief, she fights a small smile and asks, "So is that you admitting you have an interest in Link?"

I'm floored by the abruptness of her question, "…Uh…n-no, absolutely not, definitely not, and do not take my words and twist them, that will also get you in trouble with me. I was merely saying when you find a guy that you like in the way you keep pushing for me to like the Hero, I will bug you about it to no end." I cross my arms and try to set a menacing look on my face at her, but my mind is still reeling by the bluntness of her question for it to look anything close to scary. _**Of course I don't like the Hero, and I haven't acted in a way to say otherwise**__. I will admit, he was cute when he was younger__**, but more of the 'awww, little kid' kind of cute**__. Right…of course…_

I hear her snicker and my eyes focus back on her just as her face settles into a calm expression once again. Narrowing my eyes I look at her a bit longer, "Right, well I need to go see to the Zoras. Hopefully they are holding up better than the Gorons have been. Don't…don't cause too much trouble all right? You're bad enough on your own, but add the Hero to the mix and it seems like you two are a disaster waiting to happen."

I bring my hands to my mouth and blow out a shrill whistle, Nightscream whinnies from somewhere in the village and I turn in that direction. I look over my shoulder as he comes into view, "Farewell, Sister, stay safe." I hold out my hand as Nightscream passes us by and jump as I catch his reigns, swinging my leg over him and landing gracefully on his back as he continues to gallop out of the gates and into the Field. _You also, Hero._

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><p>—<strong>Gwyn's POV—<strong>

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><p><em>She is a mess. The Bearer of Wisdom, unable to see what is staring her right in the face, heck, half the time it is slapping her in the face and she brushes it off. At least half of the Triforce on our side is using what the Goddesses gave them. She's a smart girl, I know she is; quick witted, well versed in battle techniques, fighting stances, and culture, I've seen all this first hand. But wisdom isn't just knowledge, its knowing when and how to apply that knowledge for the best outcome. It's guiding without drawing a map, and leading without dragging the followers. What she said in front of the Fire Temple was wisdom, it spoke to the present and future, offering guidance and encouragement, but she had no clue what she said afterward…strange.<em>

Deciding to think on it later, I start to walk around the village. The first day I was here, well, simply put, I wasn't well liked. After it got out that Ganondorf was King of the Gerudo, the opinion of our people dropped from its already low standings to just above hostile. After the people here saw me with Sheik, however, they slowly began to accept me. Now, I greet people that I know on the street and have become decently good friends with most of the more prominent people here; most are very kind and hard-working people who just want peace to return to Hyrule.

After walking around for a bit, I drop in at the shooting range. Two of the things I miss about not being back at the fortress are the target practice with my bow and the dueling opportunities with the other ladies there, looks like Link and I will have to fight a bit more once he gets back, try his meditation thing again.

The owner of the shooting range and I have a deal worked out, I won't ask for a prize and he won't charge me money, I get the target practice I want, and he doesn't lose tons of money since I hit them all almost every time. As I am shooting the targets, my mind wanders back to the topic of Link; _there is something odd about him. He knows things that most outsiders don't at a depth that even many of us who were raised in the Fortress don't know, and it is more like he was reading the information out loud directly from a book rather than trying to recall it from memory…_

_Something else has been bugging me about him also since I met him. I've been trying to ignore it, but there is something about him that, every time I see him, I want to follow him and help him in any way I can. I want to make him proud for some reason, he's a great guy and all, but _want to make him proud?_ That is weird, and I don't really like it… if only Nabooru was still around like she used to be, she was always the one I could talk to with things I didn't understand. She disappeared and then came back…different…_

My train of thought is broken as I reach for another arrow and find my quiver empty. I glance over at the area where the score is posted and find I only missed four of the thirty targets I shot. As my hand lowers, I glance at the guy behind the counter, he is not quite to the point of drooling as he watched, but it looked as though he was getting close. Giving a slight smirk and nod in his direction, I turn from the shooting range and walk out the door to go buy more arrows from the store.

As I step outside, I look back towards Death Mountain, the sun is hanging close to the middle of the sky and the light cloud ring around the summit stands out clearly against the blue sky. Overall, it is a much more pleasant picture than it was at the beginning of yesterday, Link apparently doesn't know how to do things halfway, he kills a bad guy and it clears up the whole sky in the area. Chuckling, I enter the supply store, restock on essentials and then leave after paying and thanking the guy running the store. As I step once more into the sunlight, I look back and forth down the rows of buildings, _Now what? There is only so much aimless wandering a girl can do before she gets bored out of her mind…_

Turning towards Death Mountain once more, I shrug and start walking toward the path that leads up the mountain. _If I see Link on the way, then all the better. Maybe he can turn around and give me a tour; no telling how long Sheik will be gone… Well, no time like the present I suppose. Death Mountain, here I come._

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><p>—<strong>Sheik's POV—<strong>

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><p>Gwyn's comments bugged me the entire trip to the Zoran City. Usually, riding helps clear my mind, but for some reason, Gwyn's words and Link stayed at the forefront of my mind. It really sucks to have the topic you are trying to avoid, be the ones that just won't leave you alone. Even as I played the song of the Royal Family, my mind was distracted and my fingers playing habitually. <em><strong>Why is this messing with me so much? I won't be able to do anything for the Zoras at this rate. Distraction never helps anyone in the types of situations we will be in until we defeat Ganondorf. High tension and risk are the worst times to be distracted, especially over a guy. No matter how attractive or funny, or<strong>__…just Link…_

I literally shake myself as I notice I had completely stopped walking. _**No more thoughts of that for now, Think…pink cucoos and yellow cows**__, …um, sunsets? … ….__**still not helping**__._ In the end I started going through my memories of a number of ReDead incidents I had heard about and trying to recount as many details as I could. Thankfully, this distraction lasted me until I reached the throne room. Once there, I had something totally different on my mind,

"What the heck?"

Still just within the shadows, I slowly work to take the scene in that is before me. The King of the Zoras was frozen inside a red block of ice._ Since when is there _red_ ice? Can't be natural, but how to break it off of him…I'll leave that for Link, this king is more or less just a figurehead though. It's actually Ruto who really runs things, if there is someone I should help it would be her, but how to find…_

My thoughts are cut off by a strangled yell that was quickly drawing closer, turning to see a figure drawing closer with something raised above their head, I instinctively unsheathe the closest knife and begin blocking the wild blows.

In between attacks, the figure yells at me, "Come back…to gloat huh? Couldn't… stay away…from your…handy work? Come to…finish the job…or are…you going to…freeze me…to?" after one final strike, the figure drops the weapon before sinking to the ground sobbing. "You've already taken the thing that means the most to me…I've tried everything, he won't thaw though…"

Finally getting a good look at who it is, I kneel and wrap my arms around her, "Ruto, I'm so sorry, I didn't know this had happened or I would have been back to help sooner. It's going to be alright though, I can promise that."

Through her tear soaked face, she looks at me and recognition dawns across it. Some of the stress lines leave her face as she relaxes into the embrace though holding on as if for dear life, "I'm glad you're here Ze…Sheik. I found him two days ago after getting back from checking on how Hyrule Lake was looking, it has been getting worse slowly the past couple years for seemingly no reason, when I got back though…" she sniffled, fighting back a fresh wave of tears, "…I've been going nearly insane when nothing worked. All the other Zoras are trapped under the sheet of ice and I don't really know how to help them either. We've never had to test it before, but they should be in a level of stasis from the temperature, but if they don't get out soon, they will suffocate from lack of fresh oxygen. I don't even know what is happening to daddy…" Her voice was reaching a hysterical point again, so I started rubbing small circles into her back as I drew her into another hug.

Taking a deep breath I worked to slowly push away her fears, "It's going to be fine, Ruto, a person is coming to help, he should be here within the next couple days, but I need you to start preparing to go to the Water Temple. All the ice here feels dark and unnatural. If you could skip around the temple and just look at what all is in there and then come back and tell me what you've seen, I'll pass it along to him so he knows a little more of what to expect."

She had once again relaxed, "I can do that, but he will need a way to breathe underwater and all that, unless you know a Zora I don't…Besides, I can tell you exactly what all is in the temple right now without going, I would know if daddy had changed anything in there since the last time we went in for a ritual. We have-"

"No, you will need to look through again," I say, interrupting her, "Evil has slowly begun to enter the Temples across Hyrule, as Ganondorf has grown stronger, he has slowly begun to infest the temples from the inside. My guess is there is an evil creature deep within the Temple that is causing this unnatural ice. I just came from Kakariko and the sky was dark grey and the volcano close to erupting because of one such creature. Volvagia had been resurrected and unleashed within the Fire Temple.

"When Volvagia was defeated once more, the volcano erupted and cleared the sky to where it is once more as it always had been. Quite a spectacular thing to watch really..." I slowly trail off as I remember the look of the sky. I'm drawn from my thoughts by a small cough and snigger. Blushing I look up to face her again.

"So who is this person who supposedly can make all this better?" Her voice once more returning to a state of urgency as she works back to the main point.

"The Hero of Time, you met him seven years ago when you gave him the Water Stone." I answer; as I finish a shudder rushes through her body.

She pulls away some from the hug we were still sharing and gasps, "My betrothed! I hadn't heard anything from him for so long I though he had died or forgotten about me. Well, actually I thought he had just taken what he wanted and then left like most humans guys are known to do now days." She finishes with a tone of dejection and disgust.

Something flares within me as she talks, "Y-your betrothed?" I stammer out, shock and…another feeling coursing through me.

"Oh, yes! My mother told me I shouldn't give the Zora Amulet to anyone but my betrothed, when he came asking for it, saved me from the belly of Jabu-Jabu, I figured he was there to claim my heart, so I gave it to him. He was cute, does he look any better now?" She gushed, and probably would have continued if I hadn't interrupted,

"So did you tell him what it meant for you to give it to him? And how did he know to ask for it?" I look her over, _**she's part fish for crying out loud, pretty, but…that's creepy**__…nothing against the Zoras, __**but all the same, I couldn't see myself dating a fish…or a part fish, whatever**_**.** I shake my head to clear those thoughts. _There is nothing wrong with the Zoras, what is wrong with me?_

"Of course I told him, what are you trying to say here? And I have no idea how he knew to ask, he just showed up inside Jabu-Jabu trying to find me so that he could try to find the Spiritual Stone of Water, which everyone knows is the Zora Amulet." She nodded with a smile on her face as if it was that simple. I shake my head.

"He was an eleven year old boy who was raised by the Kokiri in their forest, he would have had no way to know what the stone was, let alone what betrothal meant." A feeling of peace comes over me as I speak this realization. _**Peace? What was I worried about, that he would**__…like her over me? __**Why am I thinking like that, what is going on with my brain, first I was jealous and now this? Great, just great Zelda, you're supposed to be dead right now or at least gone from Hyrule, and Sheik, you're supposed to be a dude and that kind of thinking is messed up**__…blehh._

Ruto's face falls as I explain how Link couldn't have known what he was asking for. It went unsaid that he wouldn't ask for it if he actually knew her. _**She is a good friend, but man she can be bossy and imperialistic. **_I chuckle mentally. Once again I have to shake my head.

"Listen Ruto, we have to get back to the more important matters that we are facing right now. You need to go take a look around the Temple to see where the problem areas are so you can let Link know how to get through to defeat whatever it is that is causing problems within. But, and listen closely to this, you must be very careful. I am not sure if the Water Sage has been captured or not, which means either they have already been captured and they are being held within the Temple…or you are the Water Sage since you are the last Zora not frozen. Do not be seen. After you have looked through, go back to the entrance and I will have Link meet you there, if you guide him through the Temple, he should be able to get through it pretty quickly."

She gave me her undivided attention until around the part of her possibly being the Water Sage. I snap my fingers in front of her face to regain her attention, "You hear me?" She nods in response and stands to leave. Before leaving the throne room she turns around once more to look at her father.

"See you soon, daddy." Muttering as she turns, "I hope."

I sit for a few moments after she leaves, her quiet, parting words riveting me to the floor where I was still situated from the last hug I gave her. Staring blindly at King Zora as he sits incased in the unnatural ice, my thoughts drift to my own, lost parents for the first time in a few years. I had shut down my grief for a couple years until I finally fully immersed myself into being Impa's nephew, no relation to the sadly lost King and Queen of Hyrule. As Sheik, I grieved as a bystander, but never have I allowed Zelda to grieve her parents. The ice had grown cold around that part of my heart just as the ice surrounds the Zora Domain. But even as I sat, knowing Link would be coming to break the ice off the Zoran king, the walls of ice began cracking and falling from the shell I had placed there so long ago.

Never would I see my father living again, hear his laugh, scheme to prank Mother with him, never…never… my mind empties of thought as my eyes overflow with tears. Nothing but my echoing sobs surrounding me…_I wish Impa was here._ The year following The Coup as the Sheikah call it, she would hold me at night and rock back and forth. I didn't appreciate it at the time, I was too wrapped up in all my other emotions. After that year, she stopped after one of our arguments, the worst one we have ever had, since then or before.

I wrap my arms close to my body and slowly rock back and forth, still seated on the frozen ground. _My parents are gone; Impa isn't here…what am I supposed to do now? With Impa being one of the last higher level Sheikah, she is most likely to be the Sage of the Shadow Temple, what am I going to do when she is gone also? I guess I will have to let Gwyn get even closer…I tried the whole lone wolf thing and it didn't work out too well, that fact is showing itself right now even._ _Why does the world have to be so unfair, Ruto gets to keep her father, Link won't fail to free him and the rest of the Zoras, that much I'm positive of. But I have no parents, Impa will probably not be in tis realm anymore, and I am probably one of the last true Hylians. All I have left are my friends, and those I have few of because of how I have acted as Sheik for so long. All people know of me now is a mask excluding Gwyn of course…I need to get back to them soon, they'll start to worry_

The sobbing has finally lessened, but the pain and loneliness is still here pressing in on me from every side. My eyes drain of tears as my emotions slowly wear me down, _I'll go back after I get some rest… _I roll over, onto my side, and curl up into a ball as sleep takes me, shielding me just for a little while from the ache of loss and lies.

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><p>—<strong>Gwyn's POV—<strong>

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><p>Half way to the top of the mountain, I come across the entrance to the main living area for the Gorons and found a group of them, standing in a circle around a platform just outside the mouth of the cave. All of those Sheik and I spoke to in the caves were there raising their arms to the sky, chanting softly. I look past, not wanting to disturb them and see a small shadow coming down the mountain, figuring that it is Link I start walking that direction.<p>

Halfway up said path, I meet Link. He looks a little worse for wear, sweat, dirt, a little blood and a weird bluish liquid type substance hanging on his clothes and face and arms, he looks a right mess.

"Looks like it went well, eh Link, Navi?" I say cheerfully, even though I don't know the guy too well, I do like him being around. When he isn't quiet, he is hilarious, even when he is quiet most of the time, his humor and quick wit speak more than him talking constantly.

Link chuckles nervously while Navi shakes her head, "This idiot here decides to rush in to a room, sword raised and a battle cry on his lips, and gets roasted by Volvagia."

"Aww, come on Navi, you make it sound like I'm a complete idiot when it comes to evil infested temples, how was I supposed to know there was a Dragon just waiting to blow fire through the door way, and I only opened it thank you very much." Link answers in a mock whining voice.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute. You were torched? Where are your burns? I know potions don't heal you that fast, maybe a fairy, but you usually just save those for…please tell me you didn't die, please, please tell me you didn't die." Realization dawns across my face, "Oh, no she did not! Dang it, that… that… oooh I am so going to kill he-" I clamp my mouth shut, eyes wide. _Oh crap. _ Link is looking at me with a confused look on his face, Navi, Navi is switching between a look of horror and amusement, _ I just screwed up royally…_

"Who are you talking about Gwyn?" Link asks, Navi sniggers before muttering loud enough for only me to hear, "Yeah who _are_ you talking about Gwyn?" she flutters over to stand on my shoulder and lean against my ear. _Dang you fairy. You're not helping my frame of mind._

I…er, well…um, I was talking about…Navi! Yeah, I was really hoping she didn't break a huge bonded fairy rule…umm, right Navi, doesn't it say that you can't act like a normal fairy and save the person you are bonded to…or something?" _Please don't fail me, this isn't just for me, this is for Zelda… _"I think _Sheik_ mentioned something about it during one of our random conversations…?"

Navi huffed and whispers, "You so owe me," before continuing louder, "Yeah, that's true, we are tied to the one we bond with so if they die, we die, much more complicated than that of course, but that is the general idea."

_Dang, she's good at lying…even with me throwing her on the spot like that._ I breath a sigh of relief, _too close. That girl better hurry up and just tell him already, no idea what is holding her back…_

"Anyways, I was wanting to know if you would like to spar again? I haven't been able to get back to the state for meditating you showed me a few days ago, I might need to have you walk me through it one more time." I asked hopefully, _that was such a relaxing time, fighting was a thrill and life just _felt_ better._

He nods at me, "Sure, lets get off the mountain, grab Sheik and then head out to the field, I always enjoy being out there." He starts walking back down the mountain.

"Sheik…isn't in town right now, sh—er,_ he_, had to go take care of a few things, and I was wondering if you could show me around the Goron's cave and such..." I stated as I walked by his side.

"Sure, I need to go let them know that Darunia is the Fire Sage so they don't start worrying about why he hasn't returned yet…but after that I'll give you a walk through of the place." Link answered with a smile, albeit a weary one.

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><p>Once we finally made it to Hyrule Field after the tour and visiting with the Gorons, we began to meditate. Spending a couple hours walking through different sparring matches, fights, duels, etcetera, we turned to face each other. Deciding to change it up, we used only short swords in our main hand and daggers in our off-hand.<p>

Starting six feet apart we slowly circle each other, I leap forward after a minute of waiting, _never was a patient one_, we began a heated dance. Dual wielding is fun, though requires a higher awareness, you don't just have to worry about where one weapon is, but also the second, and also be looking for openings on either side while keeping yourself guarded. Often we locked up our short swords in between us at head or chest level and then fought a smaller battle with the daggers in between, trying to force an advantage over the other by causing their concentration to waiver with the sword so they can be pushed back or attacked.

Though most of the battle was fought closely, even resorting to hits and kicks, the swings were very powerful also. Link was the first to lose his dagger, though my short sword quickly followed it to the ground. After blocking with my dagger, I twisted his short sword from his grip; within a few strikes he was able to force my dagger away from me though and I wound up lying on the ground after he rolled me over his shoulder. Rolling away from him, I swing my legs around to keep him from getting nearer and then pop back up to my feet, settling once more into a ready stance. _I haven't had a fight like this in a long time, his skills are only getting better each time we face off… Let's see how he does hand to hand though, I'm sure I can pull out a few surprises still._

Grinning deviously, I wave him over, "Come on, Hero, and let us see what you can do!"

Link smirks back before turning and kicking the weapons that were surrounding us away. "Don't want us to fall on one of these no do we?" He asks with a chuckle. It throws me off and I barely have time to react to him sprinting over with his arm pulled back in a punch. Just before he is within arms reach, I slip to the side, drop to one knee and drag my other foot across the ground in an attempt to sweep his legs out from under him. He jumps through the air to dodge it and rolls to carry his momentum forward without hurting himself, turning once more to face me laughing, "You won't sweep me off my feet that easily, Gwyn!"

I smirk back, and mutter low enough that he can't hear, "No, that's Sheik's job, if she'll ever get around to it…" Laughing I shake my head.

An hour or so later, we both drop to the ground, smiles on our faces, but completely out of breath. The sun was almost fully set by now and, after recovering, Link moved to start a fire so we could start on dinner. He walks over to his bag and pulls out two apples, yells "heads up" and tosses one to me. He pulls out the food and cookware and moves near the fire.

"So, Link, I have been wondering, how much do you know about the Gerudo?" This question has been bugging me since the whole, Sisters of The Blade explanation he gave, so weird…

"Umm, almost everything I think? I don't really know what to say, You say Gerudo and I think desert, Goddess of the Sand, pride, family… and what I understand the least…home… I usually only felt that in the Lost Forest, or the Temple of Time…and now that I think of it, Death Mountain, I others I can understand, Hero of Time-Temple of Time, Lost Forest-where I grew up, and Death Mountain-I'm Darunia's sworn brother. I don't know how I'm connected to the Gerudos or the Gerudo Valley though, but it is there." Link said, his face contorted in concentration.

"What exactly do you mean almost everything? Do you know our history, our traditions, I've seen that you know our fighting style because of me helping you with some stances, but I also noticed that you were doing a few of the Master stances, things only the highest Gerudo Warriors are fully taught. Things like that." I ask, truly wondering if it was just a fluke and he heard some things and figured he knew all there was to know, or if it is something…deeper and truly, unthinkable.

Growing up in the Fortress, I always heard that a King would come to lead our race into a new time of prosperity, this was always said, but the older Gerudo were clinging to this hope more dearly than those of us who had been born recently. The reason was the King that was supposed to rule for the one hundred years before my time was killed or kidnapped at a young age supposedly. He was born and raised within the Fortress but when he came of age he went to the Temple as is required but did not return. Many of the best warriors in the ranks at that time went in to search but found nothing, every few years they would make another sweep through, each time finding nothing, they lost their hope for the current time of reign, but they kept their hope for the next King to lead them as had always been foretold.

Then, out of nowhere, Ganondorf, the young man who disappeared within the Temple appears once more and claims the throne. He was strong, charismatic, strict and lawful; everything the King should be. The first few years he was back he lead us in the direction we believed he was suppose to; we began to prosper, grow larger, grow stronger, we became feared for our fighting abilities. Our great rise from the depths had begun, or that is what we believed. After the first few years he started to withdraw from us, became crueler, pushing us past our limits in our training. Our ladies began passing out from exhaustion while trying to train to the level he wanted from us.

Then people started acting weird, doing and saying things that they usually wouldn't have done. Like Nabooru, she was one of the more recent ones that stand out to most of the ladies at the Fortress. Her personality did almost a complete turn around from what it once was, and she is scary now.

I look back at Link as he starts talking, telling me the background of our people. In some places it is word for word what I was taught growing up, other areas, he goes more in depth or explains it in a new light. It amazed me, hearing our history being laid bare, unprejudiced or changed to meet a biased viewpoint, back to the time of the first woman who was accepted by the desert to become her daughter, a daughter of the sand. The sun with dark skin marked her, the heat with hair of fire marked her, and the earth with strength unseen in most of the warriors in Hyrule marked her and the desert called her, her own. The desert is mother to all Gerudos and they are her daughters, she is the Queen to the King and he brings either wealth or destruction to her.

Fighting and stealing became a way of life, but not between the sisters; within the Fortress the sisters lived a communal lifestyle, sharing excess with those in need. The only fighting or stealing within the fortress was for training. For two years in their teens, the young girls would have to fend for themselves within the Fortress, stealing from anyone they could. If they got caught, they were punished; a lock of hair was cut off, a knife cut across their arm and then sent away with no food.

After half an hour of retelling of history and traditions, Link sits back, drinks down quite a bit of water and falls silent for a little bit. I just sit and look at him, "It's amazing, I hope you know, hearing everything I was raised hearing but with a balanced opinion rather than the biased spin the elders put on everything. I must ask though, what does "Eht li. Sor koh. Bah sai." mean?"

"Live honorable. War respectfully. Steal with dignity. The Gerudo code." Link responds with a slight grin. "I told you, I know almost everything, no idea how, but it is like it is just a part of me."

"Who are your parents?" I ask. "I've never heard you or Sheik talk about it, and I had a feeling you two knew each other decently well."

The small grin that was on his face fell as he dipped his head towards the ground, "I know you and Sheik have traveled together for a few days now, but you two have probably talked more than us. I'm not sure if Sheik told you or not, but the village we went to, with all of the little kids, is where I grew up. I was found at the base of the Deku Tree, my mother was injured really bad and somehow made it into the Lost Woods. She begged the Deku Tree to care for me and once she got its word that it would she walked into the Lost Woods and disappeared."

He looks off towards the horizon where the moon was now visible, "I don't know, no one knows whom my mother is, and there is more information about her than my father so there is no telling who he is. With the way things are at Castle Town, I really doubt he's even still alive."

He takes a deep breath before letting it out as a sigh. Turning his face he looks at me and smiles, "But that's all the past. Though I would like to know what I am since the Great Deku Tree told me I'm not really a Kokiri, my parents don't define who I am, I choose that. At least after all this is over with. Apparently destiny has decided what I would be doing for a little while, but even that doesn't decide _who_ I will be. It will be fun to find out, if I ever do, but until then I'll live life like I think I should." By this time a huge grin had broken across his face.

_Who is this guy?! Many people outside of the Gerudo would feel lost without knowing who their parents are, and others think that because their parents were one way, they would follow in their footsteps. It makes sense but who thinks like that?_

_Now that I think about it though, who is this guy, really? No one should know this much about the Gerudo at his age at all, let alone after being raised on a forest of kids and then falling asleep shortly after that. Unless..._

"Hey, Link, what were those seven years like?"


	10. Chapter 10: The Truth, The Guide

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**Chapter 10: The Truth, The Guide, and Half Lidded Eyes**

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><p>—<strong>Gwyn's POV—<strong>

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><p>"Hey, Link, what were those seven years like?"<p>

He leans back, staring into the fire that had burned down to a few embers that were still giving off some heat and some soft lighting, making for a comfortable atmosphere.

"I would have to say its like waking up after sleeping without dreaming. You don't know when you finally fell asleep, only that you did. Waking up was much the same, you wake up and don't have any idea how long you slept until someone tells you what time it is or you look outside to see where the sun is in the sky.

"Take it from me, waking up and being told you've slept for seven years is not the greatest welcome back to the land of the living. Trying to adjust to the bigger body that I ha wasn't pleasant either. Though I will say it was nicer than running into the center of Castle Town and finding a small colony of ReDeads."

Link sat quietly for a bit watching the fire before throwing on a new log. He turns to look at me and smirks, "You were wondering if I had learned while I was asleep?" I tilt my head, _creepy that he can guess what I wanted to ask_… I give a nod in response after chalking it up to it just being Link.

"I swear you and Sheik must be related. He asked me the same thing not too long ago. No, I didn't learn, as I said, it was like sleeping without dreaming. Besides, to get to the real question you want to ask, I knew all these things about the Gerudo before then. It actually happened the first time I met Zelda, she showed me Ganondorf when he was in the castle visiting the king and Queen. She told me he was the King of the Gerudo's, at least that is what he calls himself, he is much to young to be this century's King and surrounded with evil magic. I learned it all then." Snorts and mutters to himself, "knew more about our people than I knew about myself"

_Did I hear what I thought he said? Did he say_ Our _people_? I take a calming breath, "What was that last bit?"

Startled from his musings he looks up at me and then gives a small smile, "Just complaining at the irony of me learning more about the Gerudo in an instant than I knew about myself from my entire life."

My mind was still reeling... _Did I hear wrong or did he...ehh, I'll leave it alone for now. I did hear a new topic that would be fun to go with though..._

"So you got to meet Princess Zelda? What was she like?" I ask with overdone excitement, I know something better; I know what she _is_ like nowadays. Though I was slightly interested in what he had to say about her, who she was from his perspective.

The fire crackled as his face lit up, "I met her shortly after I met Navi. She was nothing like I expected though. Hearing stories from the other Kokiri growing up always gave me a picture of a young woman who is too good for those around her to even turn her head down to look at them, dressed up in these ridiculous clothes and that she would act like I wasn't worth her time. She did have one part of it, she had a ton of guards that I had to slip past but everything else I had heard was soo wrong.

"She was really nice, honest, funny, and she cared about Hyrule a lot, not just the people in Castle Town but everyone who lived within her knowledge. The Gerudos, the Zoras, the Gorons and even the Kokiri. After that first visit I went back to see her a few times, and I really liked being around her. And she was really cute..." He shakes his head as his eyes focus back in "uh...yeah, sorry, got a little carried away. But it's true so I won't take it back.

"If I had to be honest, she is the biggest reason I am fighting to save Hyrule. Sure, the Goddesses chose me as the Hero of Time, the one to beat back the darkness. I fight so that Goron Link can grow up with a better and brighter future and the Kokiri so that they can keep their innocence and peace. I'm fighting for you and Sheik because you're my friends and for the Gerudos so that I can help them return to their full potential as a race.

"But the main reason is for Zelda. You may not know but the night I first fell asleep, the night Zelda and Impa escaped from Ganondorf after he attacked the castle, they passed me while I stood at the gate. And in that moment, Zelda gave me the Ocarina of Time, but not just the ocarina; she gave me her most prized and priceless gift. She gave me the future of Hyrule, and by going to the Temple of Time and allowing Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm...I almost ruined that future.

"I'm fighting to bring back hope and light to that future. I hope that one day I'll be able to see Zelda at the end of all of this and give her back control over a kingdom she is proud of and it be what she would have strived for the kingdom to be...even if I never see her again...I want it to be the future she hoped Hyrule would have." He paused, staring without seeing into the fire for a moment before continuing. "...That she would thank me for not failing her in the end like I did at the beginning..."

With that he placed a final log on the fire, stood and walked to outside of the ring of light given off by the flames and settling into the beginning stance of his meditation.

I watch him for a few moments, there was so much passion and fervor in his voice, in one word; it was intense. And to know that Zelda feels much the same way about her failure in keeping Ganondorf from the Tri-Force...

Soft footfalls approach slowly from behind me and I smirk slightly.

Without turning to see who it is I mutter just loud enough for her to hear. "You know, the way he talks, it seems that he cares almost as much for you and your high opinion as you care for Hyrule, if not to an equal extent. His eyes had a light I didn't see during the other part of our conversation until your name came up. And yet he doesn't even know you are within 10 feet of him every time 'Sheik' is around."

There's no immediate response, which isn't too uncommon, until it stretches for a couple minutes. I look over at her and see her shoulders slumped in on her body, her head hung towards the ground while her arms are wrapped tightly around her knees which are against her chest as if trying to hold something together while it's on the verge of exploding.

Scooting closer I wrap an arm around her and pull her to me while cooing, "Hey, what's wrong?" She finally turns her face to me. Her hair and head wrappings are skewed into a mess and I can see both of her scarlet eyes, a little more read than usual and puffed up from not just a few minutes, but hours of crying.

Something big went down, and knowing her, she was alone to deal with it. _Dang it Zel, being a loner is going to get you hurt bad someday...you make your friends feel useless when you do this to yourself... _

"It's alright girl, we're here for you." I say softly as I wrap her back into a hug, she starts trying to talk but it comes out as an unintelligible jumble as she starts to lose grip of her composure again. "We'll talk later sis, for now just rest." and I slowly start to rub comforting circles into her back while my other arm wraps around her front to her side, keeping her close to my side.

She nods and the shaking from her crying subsides as she slowly drifts off into sleep.

A hand comes into my line of vision from seemingly nowhere and I jump slightly as Link speaks, "How is she?" his thumb lightly stroking her still covered cheek.

"D...uh, w-well sh-...ummm...what?" _Damn, she's gonna kill me_. "H-how? Err... when?"

He chuckled lightly, "The whole 'Sisters of the Blade' thing, and a few other minor observations here and there. So it wasn't completely your fault, not really. She does well at hiding it, would have never guessed if I hadn't paid attention to things around me.

"But the clenched was her crying and allowing you to hold her, guys...yeah, not normal behavior, definitely not for a 'guy' who is as hard and closed off emotionally as Sheik supposedly is. Though you calling her girl and sis only supported that." He finished still chuckling lightly here and there.

I shake my head in disbelief. "I thought you were meditating...and surely you couldn't have heard us from where you were..."

He nods, "I understand how you could think I wouldn't hear, with meditation you turn and focus inward, towards yourself and what is happening within you. But if you practice that while working on your fighting technique, it will hurt you worse than help. In battle you have to be aware of yourself _and_ your surroundings_,_ so by practicing looking only inward at yourself, that becomes habit and you will more than likely get hurt.

"When I meditate, I focus on what I am doing with my body, but I also make sure I pay attention to what is going on around me. It would suck for you two if one of you tried to approach me just as I went into a swing and hit you. So yes, most of your late night conversations with Sheik you had while I was meditating, I heard pieces of. I didn't listen in too often though because I wanted to respect your privacy.

"Which is why I ask that you to not let Sheik know that I know she isn't a guy. If it is something she wants me to know then I will wait for her to tell me. It doesn't matter to me that she hid it. Sheik is a mysterious person, and this was just another facet to her person. I'll continue as I have been and she won't know a difference, you'll probably even forget since you didn't catch on that I knew." He laughs softly before throwing a wink in my direction and standing,

"Let me know when she gets up if I don't respond shortly after, I try to be attentive to everything but you two in the evenings so I may not notice her stirring." With a slight bow of his head he returns once more to his stance, slipping through his motions like a fish through water, purely natural.

My mouth is still opening and closing from the absolute shock I just received, _it is completely undeniable that he played us both for fools the past week. I never even suspected he knew, of all the times we interacted or I watched him interact with 'Sheik'. Now the question is, does he know whom 'Sheik' really is underneath? He is a person of integrity though, not mentioning the fact that he knows because of an accident and is waiting until she feels comfortable to tell him. I don't think Zelda would be too happy about being found out, even if only halfway…_

My focus drifts back to Sheik and sigh, _just what are we going to do with you Zel…_

As the night drags on, I shift my focus between Link and Sheik, he hasn't stopped moving and she hasn't moved since I decided she would probably sleep better lying down rather than in a sitting position. Her head is in my lap as I lean back against a rock that was happily situated behind me and I rub her arm comfortingly. The light from the fire dances slowly, the shadows passing over my eyes and causing them to quickly start to droop. Knowing that Link is at least somewhat tuned in to his surroundings is comforting enough for me to drift into sleep with the assurance he can take care of anything that comes up or wake me when Sheik wakes up if I don't notice.

_Wish Sheik, Zelda, who ever the heck she decides to play as hurries up and figures out what she has staring her in the face, this guy is one us Gerudo ladies would fight battles over, and not friendly spars either…too bad he's taken… even now, seven years later…talking of…Zelda…_

Sleep claims me.

* * *

><p>—<strong>Sheik's POV—<strong>

* * *

><p>I feel myself drift back into consciousness. There was a strange dream last night that I barely remember, but it was only Link and Gwyn talking, a warmth on my cheek, but I couldn't understand what they were saying for some reason…weird. I open my eyes slowly, letting them take in only a little light at a time so I can adjust without blinding myself first. Looking up I see I am in Gwyn's lap while she sleeps peacefully, and Link is…still meditating since the conversation last night, I guess it shouldn't surprise me but still…<p>

"So, you decided to return to the land of the living then have you?" Link greets me with a laugh in his voice, "ahh, and it seems like Gwyn isn't too far behind you either. If I was a different person, I might get slightly jealous that you let a guy sleep in your lap Gwyn, when do I get my turn?"

_Where has this Link been? He is acting a little more like I used to know him, __**like an immature idiot! He's been doing that less vocally since he's gotten back,**__ hush, I would probably be pretty shaken up from learning I slept for seven years and grew that much in what seemed like a few hours. We're probably lucky he is as mature as he is really…__**huh, right.**_

_Wait is he flirting with Gwyn? __**Well she is pretty and the only other 'girl' that he knows is here, so why shouldn't he? Doesn't really matter anyways does it.**_

I look around where the three of us are and I see my things off to the side a little from where I dropped them before sitting down next to Gwyn last night… _Last night…_ I turn to Gwyn with a pleading look in my eyes. After a second she nods with a soft but sad smile on her face. She looks back at Link and lets him know we are going for a walk.

He smirks, "Oh, I get it, need some 'alone time' no need to disguise it" She shoots a glare at him and he holds his hands up in a sign of surrender, "alright, alright my bad, you two have your talk I need to head to Kakariko Village to restock on some things I missed while we were there anyways" He turns to look at me and says, "I hope you get feeling better Sheik. I might not be able to see the frown, but your eyes say more than enough…I'm sorry for your pain…Gwyn will get you set right though," He looks at her through narrowed eyes with a wicked grin on his face, "She's good at getting guys straightened out and helping them get rid of any stress—" he stopped talking as he moved to dodge a burning piece of wood thrown by Gwyn. With a sly smirk he waves and runs off towards the village laughing.

"Such a pain sometimes, he was perfectly amiable last night when you crashed; he stopped his meditation and everything to come over and check on you, and then he goes and pulls something like this this morning."

I smile some, "It was nice to have my mind redirected for a bit, he is annoying at times, but…"

"Loveable the other times? Gwyn supplies with a knowing grin.

I turn my head as I blush lightly, "Ummm, something like that…" I take a deep breath and slowly let it out before turning to face her once more. Her face shifts from one of playfulness to one more serious. After taking another breath I start explaining what happened the morning before, in full, the dream, the worry, going for a ride, coming back, the trip to the Zora domain. Everything, including more than a few of my thoughts, I freely opened to her. It was completely terrifying, but absolutely freeing in a way I never thought possible. After I finished with my return here, mentioning jokingly I would get her back for starting up the Zelda conversation with Link later, I quieted for a couple moments and thought back over what I had said before continuing.

"Sitting on the frozen ground, alone, weeping, alone, with an overflow of emotions tearing at some of my barriers, alone; it shook me, deeply. I haven't ever really been alone like that, well, not in a physical sense, where I could see, with my eyes, how my life probably looked if you were to paint a picture of it. Me alone, broken, scared, surrounded by a frozen land and people. Frozen because I kept him or her at a distance, no warmth or real friendliness being offered and barely accepted from them. It…it terrified me, to think that was what I was doing to you..." _and to Link…_

Gwyn sat, staring at me with a surprised look on her face.

"Yes, I know, big and sudden turn around, but I have to admit, I wont act like this a lot. Five years of being cold and uncaring to those around me is still ingrained, but…I want you to know that your friendship means a lot to me. You were the second person I thought of that I wished was around me so that they could help, Impa was right before you. But I knew I could trust you, I knew I could show you this because you knew of the real me behind the mask of Sheik. And I wanted to say thank you for that.

"Link was right, at one time, I was the little girl he described, but she was pushed to the side and away after my parents—" _**I'm saying too much, she's getting too far in, stop now, I've told her enough, she doesn't need to know anything else. Too much more and she could hurt me really bad, I have to shut down…**__but… I can trust Gwyn, she cares about me, why shouldn't I tell her more…__**no, it's too much right now, its too much.**__ No, if I don't start here, right now, I will never get past this point._

Unknown to me, the mental battle was showing freely on my face, giving Gwyn a front row seat to the battle, my face unconsciously settles to one of determination and Gwyn eyes me cautiously.

"It hurt. Even though my parents and I weren't the closest, I still loved them, mom was strict but still loving and there to help when I really needed it. Dad and I would play pranks on her, Impa and unsuspecting servants; Impa and I would prank him back. He was busy a lot of the time, but still, I loved him. I knew I would be safe as long as daddy was around, and I knew mom would chase away the monsters. Impa filled those roles once they were...once they were gone, but it wasn't the same.

"I knew I could trust Link, he came back quite a few times between gathering the Stones, he would just come and talk and let me feel like a normal kid. He even joined Impa and I a couple times, pranking people. Daddy never got to meet him, mom didn't really approve at first, but I guess she saw me laughing enough times to let it slide. She was big on me staying proper as a princess.

"That night was the scariest night I have ever had to live through. We had planned some, a bag already packed, things ready to just grab and go. But it didn't work like we planned. Impa woke me up, my adrenaline was running high, and then by the time Impa and I stopped to make camp, I was slowly coming down from it. Everything crashed around me when Impa told me what happened. When she told me..." tears fill in my eyes and I don't bother to wipe them away, _seven years of holding this in, of denying the pain and despair, this is so freeing and terrifying, why haven't I done this before? __**Because you didn't trust anyone to stick around. The only people that were close to it either died or disappeared, aside from Impa and Impa was working to help you fit into your new life as her nephew. There was no time for you to open up as a girl.**_

"When she told me they were gone...there was nothing left except Link, and then after days of crying over the loss of my parents, I was told he was gone also, or at least couldn't be found. There was only Impa left. Shortly after I had to become Sheik, I had to hide who I was, become someone new and leave Zelda behind just so that I could survive and live a somewhat normal life. While training to become a Sheikah, you have to learn to face and control your emotions, at that time; my emotions were too raw and fresh for me to be able to face them without losing control for half a day. Three foundations of my life had been torn out from under me. So instead of facing and accepting and controlling my emotions..."

"You shut them down." Gwyn finished for me softly. "Or at least the emotions from that point in your life back before the attack. You didn't just become a new person in name...you forced yourself to change everything about you and build a life where you even responded to emotions differently. I understand more of the stories we heard of you as Brother of the Shadows in Kakariko and other small towns.

We sat in silence for a couple minutes

Deciding the attention had been on me a little too long for my liking, I ask her, "So what did you and Link do yesterday once you two met up?" And so she launched into her going around, wasting time, what she did until she and Link met up and what they did while hanging out. Once she started telling me about him telling her the Gerudo's history and traditions, I listened intently.

I always enjoyed hearing about the histories and traditions of the races across Hyrule, but the Gerudo were always on the short side of information in my opinion. There was little known about them, and even less spoken of on their traditions. My teachers had been born during one of the biggest war between Hyrule and the Gerudos, leaving them very short on information and very heavily biased against them and their culture. The few times I was able to see them in the Marketplace when they visited Castle Town, I was able to learn some, but the still didn't divulge much information. They were too busy finding guys and such.

"How could he know all of these things in such detail?" I ask after she finishes recounting the conversation between her and Link.

Gwyn stands up from where we were sitting and begins to pace a few moments before replying, "I don't have any idea at all, the only thing I can think of is surely impossible...there's a little more that you need to know though. I'm not sure if you heard all of it, but I'm almost positive that he said 'our people' when he was talking bout the Gerudos, and from what I've seen, most people don't care about our race reaching their 'full potential'. But here is the finisher, and it is a little bit scary for me. Every time I have been around him, I feel something," Her eyes flash slightly before blushing as I quickly say, "Not like that. Its like, a deep desire to make him proud of me, or just happy overall. That coupled with the fact that...well, according to him, Ganondorf is not the rightful King for this century, his end of reign was supposed to end quite a few years back. I have been thinking about it since he mentioned it, and he is right, Ganondorf is in his forties or fifties, but the end of the reign was supposed to be almost two decades ago. We all figured that since the past century's King was kidnapped or killed or something, that it threw the time gap off, but then I realized, Our kinds have been killed before and the time span has always been at the end of the century.

"Which means...either the child who was supposed to be King was killed at or shortly after birth...or he is out in the world somewhere and doesn't know it."

"So where is the impossible part to all of this?" I ask her confusedly, _though that is a major development, there must more to this... wait! Surely not..._

"Well, look at everything I've told you about the conversations I've had with Link, look at how much he knows, the fighting stances he just knows. Him learning all of these things almost instantly when something is brought up. The explanation he gave of the whole "Sisters of The Blade", I don't know if we have it put that simply in even in the writings we study as children to learn about it, most certainly not that simply written and in depth. He has taught me countless things about my own people and I grew up learning about us.

"He also doesn't know who his parents were, and Nabooru mentioned a friend of hers getting pregnant and then disappearing not too long after...she was a Hylian who was banished from Castle Town and joined the Gerudos at a young age, around fifteen or so I think, she trekked all the way through the desert to reach our fortress, and without stopping for rest or water she fought against two of our mid-level fighters and won. It was impressive, but it wasn't good enough to get in. For an outsider to join, she must prove herself as harsh and unforgiving as the sands we live on.

"Nabooru told me the story many times...usually because I asked...

**_x-Flashback-x_**

It was almost nighttime; the younger girls were being put to bed by those who had been teaching them that day. As Nabooru tucked me in, I asked the quest that had become a tradition between the pair of us, "Can you tell me the story of the Hylian?"

Nabooru smirks and looks at me with care in her eyes, "yes my dear," She replied. I scooted over to give her room to sit on the bed beside me.

"She was seeking out refuge with the Gerudo but as you know, she had to defeat us in a duel to be granted access to the fortress. She easily defeated a pair of girls who were well trained, but still not some of our best. Once she defeated them, she faced another, though she was much more skilled, one of the best fighters at that time. As the Hylian woman duels, she is being beaten back slowly and begins to slip into how she fought while on the way to the desert; fighting for her life. Because of this, she unconsciously starts to attack in a way that is not allowed in a duel. Before her final hit lands, which would have been fatal, she stops her sword mid-swing, takes a couple steps back and drops her sword to her side and kneels with her head bent forward, neck exposed as a sign of surrender to death for the offense. Silence follows, then she hears her opponent walk over, moving around behind her. A knife is drawn from its sheath and, a few seconds later; gasps are heard throughout the circle of those standing around to watch the duel. A hand grabs a portion of her hair, pulls her head back, and then the hands begin weaving the hair that had been grabbed. The faces of those watching wore mixed emotions. After a few moments, the hands stop weaving, and then grip her shoulders and lift her up and spin her around. Once she is standing again on her own I look her in the face, the portion of my hair I cut and braided into hers stands out in contrast. My red flowing into her yellowish blonde. I give her a soft smile before completing the welcoming ritual.

"Welcome home, sister." I say after watching her for a few seconds

Welcome, sister" echoed the voices of those surrounding us.

"Don't forget this story young one, the determination, honor, and fierceness of the Hylian woman is what separate the Gerudo from all others around us. Remember our code, _Eht li. Sor koh. Bah sai. Live honorable. War respectfully. Steal with dignity._ Saviha was a woman who lived this code as well as many of us who were raised within the fortress, she was our sister and one of my great friends... Now, sleep young one, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." She smiles briefly at me before standing and walking out of my room, closing the door behind her.

**_x-End Flashback-x_**

"I've always remembered that story. Always. It was one of my favorites growing up. As I got older I asked if I could meet her, but Nabooru said she was gone. One night she explained even further than usual.

"Apparently, on one of the trips in to Castle Town, she met a young man, about her age or a little older, who was hurt on the side of the road. She left her traveling group and helped him back to Kakariko, which was the closest town, and stayed with him there for a few days caring and tending to his injuries. She came back to the fortress a couple weeks later and told Nabooru she had to leave, she was pregnant and knew it was a boy. Which Nabooru said was impossible because Ganondorf had returned and claimed the throne. Saviha just nodded her head, whispering that was why she had to leave; she couldn't risk her son being born, only to be killed if he is seen as a usurper to the throne.

"Nabooru said Saviha mentioned the man was also a full Hylian, but was accepted into the Sheikah just as she was into the Gerudo. Link has the telltale Hylian ears and, from what I understand, there aren't a ton of full blooded Hylians left, right?"

She nodded in response. "My parents were two of the last ten or so back while they were alive, not sure how many there are now though...the only male Hylian I know of who became a Shiekah was Serven Barrhem. He was a few years younger than Impa. I traveled with him for a couple years after I left Impa at Kakariko.

"He was killed though, probably a year ago, our camp was raided by a group of Stalfos and Stalchilds and he was working to protect a couple kids who thought they could take them on. They got in trouble because they couldn't handle themselves against that many...three others were killed in that one night."

I let out a huff of breath and throw the stick I had subconsciously picked up and was picking at while I spoke. "It's so damn unfair!"

I rest my head on my hands, "So many people have died for no good reason, others have been hurt in ways they'll never recover, or like the Zoras and Gorons, where whole races are being oppressed just because they disagree with a man who thinks he controls the world. The Stalfos and Stalchilds don't have brothers or sisters or families, they don't know pain, and yet the cause so much of it..."

A pair of arms slowly wrap around my shoulders and arms.

"I'm sorry, I've been completely useless it seems the past couple days, I just don't know what's gotten into me." I say softly as I continue to draw strength from the arms around me.

I feel Gwyn smile softly into my hair and squeezed me a little tighter, "I'm honestly surprised you've made it this long without breaking down worse...from what you've told me you mourned your parents' loss for two days, and most of that was probably shock. Shutting down that soon after it happened wasn't healthy, just like it isn't healthy to let it drag on for a few months, but you need mourning time, time to assimilate the fact that they are gone into your mental reality.

"I know back in the fortress we would mourn for a week straight after one of our sisters passes. During that week we would tell some of our favorite experiences with her, we still sorely miss them, and the sadness that they are gone never really goes away, but we cam treat it more like they moved away rather than died.

"It will probably be tomorrow when Link gets back, you wanna try doing that?" She asked. I sit for a few moments. _Do I want to talk about them that much? I've kept everything buried for so long...do I dare open that door? __**...**__ Of course, no help there this time... Might as well, now will be better than never. _

"You don't mind?" I ask, almost hoping she would say she didn't want to, but I knew better.

She pulls me back into a hug, "Of course not sis. I want to help you however I can."

I nod and lean into her and then I start talking. Starting from some of my earliest memories of my parents, jokes that my dad told until they got old, sayings my mom had for seemingly every situation. Sometimes laughing, sometimes crying, but I kept talking. We ended up talking pretty late into the night and her arms still were wrapped around me giving me comfort and support even after sleep claimed us.

* * *

><p><strong>POV Shift<strong>

* * *

><p>"Well, she is finally making progress isn't she?" One voice says<p>

"Indeed, just in this one day she has come much farther than expected." A second answers.

"You always did underestimate them my dear sister, humans are emotional beings, and her cutting off her emotions was like her building a dam in the middle of a rushing river. If you start tearing down even a small part of the barriers, the water will push against it and break it down more quickly than you planned.

"The first part is the hardest for them. They are so worried about what will happen when they let the emotions flow like they are supposed to, that they don't even start. Once they do, however, they are amazed by how freeing it is. Zelda will sleep very well tonight and wake up more rested than she has in a long time." The third voice says, finishing with a small smile across her lips.

"Come now Farore, you should know this better than me, you did create them you know." The third voice, one called Nayru, said as she chuckled.

The first voice huffed, "You're the one who created the laws governing everything. I have them the ability to experience emotions, you governed how they work on a larger scale though."

"Hell, I'm just happy you're chosen bearer of Wisdom finally decided to stop running around in her life with her eyes completely closed, she was liable to mess things up even more than before Even if they are only halfway open now. And I may not be Nayru, but I can tell that there is something going on between the pair of Chosen Heroes down there, what was that spell you taught The Hero of Time? Nayru's _Love_" Din giggled out, before turning sour at Nayru's next words.

"You can't go bashing our Chosen One's just because the one your piece chose happens to be evil and trying to take over the world. I told you we should have put fail-safe systems in place in case one of our pieces chose someone who wanted to destroy or rule the world. Why didn't you all listen to me? I am the goddess of wisdom after all!"

"Wait, how did my Chosen One get pulled into all of this? Mine is the only one doing what he is supposed to!" Farore fumed.

"Yeah running in recklessly and..."

_And so the three once more continue their eternal bickering. Creating worlds gets old after a few million planets, bickering is one of the decently enjoyable ways to pass the time._

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><p><strong>Sheik's POV<strong>

* * *

><p>Waking up rested is an amazing experience, even if I only slept for a few hours, I feel much better than I usually do sleeping all night...<p>

I get up from where I was laying, stretched and then started doing the 'meditation' Link showed Gwyn and I. Usually when I started doing it I was stiff and my motions were not very fluid, or at least not as fluid as they are now.

_Last night must have helped more than I thought; I don't feel as weighed down...I'll have to thank Gwyn for the nudge when she wakes up... _

I work through the spar between Gwyn and I from a few days ago, but I pay more attention to the moves she had used, trying to get a better feel for how she fights. Losing myself in the motions but still being aware of my surroundings. Though my eyes are closed I can hear where Gwyn is still lying, soundly asleep. And a few birds flying overhead while grasshoppers make noises in the grass.

After I work through the fight I begin working through the stances taught by the Sheikah, learning their weaknesses and strengths, getting a more intimate knowledge of the movements, flowing from one into the next.

When I first started, only a few rays of light had started brightening the sky; now, as I hear Gwyn start moving around and waking up, the sun had fully risen so I guessed at an hour or two having passed.

With a slight nod towards her, I return to meditating. A few minutes later, Gwyn joins me.

A couple hours pass and we are pulled from our moving meditation by the sound of a bird's wings flapping and slowly getting closer until it seems to settle right above us. As I open my eyes and look up, I see a falcon with a note tied to its leg. It glides lower and then lands on my arm once I offered it. Looking at me, it moves the leg with the note attached to it closer and then, once I take the note off, it flies off once more.

I slowly unravel the parchment and start to read aloud the very clean looking script so Gwyn knows what is happening.

_"Hey you two, figured that since I wasn't too sure how long you'd take to finish that talk of yours (and I didn't really want to come back in the middle of something big) I would save myself some travel time and head straight to the Zora Domain and see what they need there and hopefully figure out where their temple is. _

_"I'll see you guys whenever, just don't rush things on my account. The last time I dealt with the Zoras, it wasn't too hard so I'll probably see you both in a couple days max. Don't burn down Hyrule Field; your two tempers together can be dangerous. _

_"Be safe, _

_-Link."_

Gwyn chuckled at the last couple parts, "First off, he's the one going into a monster infested Temple and he tells us to be safe? And secondly, he knows you too well; dead on about that temper."

I smirk back, "Yeah, 'cause we both know that you're temper isn't hot, nor is your hair red. I mean who would ever think that _you_ have a temper."

She growls jokingly before pulling out a new pair of scimitars, "Draw!" She says before lunging towards me. "Link's going to be gone a while, might as well make this free time useful."

I smile as the last of my blade comes free from its sheath and swings in front of me to block the opening strike. "Much more enjoyable pastime also."

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><p>After sparring for a couple of hours, neither of us being decided the clear winner but our limits being thoroughly tested, we settle in for some lunch. As we start talking, we return to the usual topics when its just the two of us, Hyrule, and what it was like growing up for us, and, of course, Link.<p>

It is easy to see a gleam in Gwyn's eye at the mention of the last topic and it makes me a bit uneasy. The line of questions she brings up next make me even more so uneasy.

"So what did you think about Link when you two were still kids?" and then a little later, "What do you think about him now?" _Normal girl talk, but…I don't really know my feelings, I just started really experiencing them again last night…he is cute, kind, and intelligent enough to hold a conversation with. Definitely strong as he has proven countless times in our spars and just making it through those Temples… _

_**I don't have time for attraction though, even after all this is over with I will become…Queen… and then I have to begin work to ensure the safety and future of Hyrule. I will have laws to write, royalties from other areas to visit, enemies to placate and allies to help. There won't be time for me to fall in love, mom and dad had an arranged marriage, they just had to do the ceremony and then live with it…**_

I voice these thoughts to Gwyn, she looks at me a couple minutes before starting to laugh, "Honey, if I'm right, that excuse won't work out well for you. If Link _is_ the Gerudo King, then you would not only have a nice, smart, and cute husband, but that would also help build relations between the Gerudo and Hyrule. I'm not saying marry him for that reason alone, Goddesses no! But since we are practically traveling with him daily, you might as well get to know him better to see if there is even a chance of you liking him." She finishes with a smirk

"You think you already know what the outcome will be, don't you." I ask with a pained grin. It had become a habit of mine that whenever Link was gone, and would be gone for an extended period of time, I would take the wrappings from my face. I was able to make a few minor changes to my face and body through magic and Sheikah techniques, but I felt it best to wear the wrap anyways, just in case. Since is started wearing it, it has become a barrier and safe place for me while it covered my face, but taking it off was freeing, knowing I didn't have to hide anything from Gwyn, not even the small pieces I was so worried about before. Last night helped in many ways…

We continue talking for a while, but she keeps hitting back on the topic of Link. The sun was slowly setting, as I felt a pull towards the Zora Domain. Quickly pulling my cowl back to my face I stand. "I'll be back shortly, Gwyn. Its time once more."

The pull starts to overpower me before I focus and teleport to where the urge is the strongest without waiting for a reply.


	11. Chapter 11: Two in One

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**Chapter 11- Two in One (Though One of The Two Makes It Seem Like Three)**

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><p><strong>Sheik's POV<strong>

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><p>I was drawn to the Ice Cavern, just off to the side from where Lord Jabu-Jabu once swam. Staying hidden within the shadows, I enter the last room to see Link. He stood there with his back to me, opening a chest and then pulling out the Iron Boots. He puts them on and tries running around, but almost falls on his face, I cover my mouth with my hand to stifle the laughter bubbling up inside me, he tries to jump and just move in general and slowly gets acclimated to wearing them, but I am treated to quite a show. As he begins muttering about good exercise but will make going to Hylia Lake so much longer I finally become unable to hold in the laughter anymore.<p>

My giggles ringing off the stone and ice within the room as I clutch my sides and double over slightly. "You know, you don't have to wear them the entire time, it is possible for you to take them off when you don't want to be weighed down." I say in between the laughter that is slowly subsiding. He had switched to a ready stance when I first broke the silence, now he was standing with an embarrassed expression on his face while scratching at the back of his head.

"Yeah...I, Uh, I forgot about that. I'm used to getting something new and having to start using it automatically until I'm done with whatever I have been doing...Thanks."

Unknown to me at the time, Link was promising himself to thank Gwyn next time he saw her for the difference he was seeing in my actions.

Still plagued with occasional bouts of chuckling I continue with what I feel I need to speak, "You left before I could tell you, coming here was a waste of time, this is all there is... With one exception, the Zoras are now sealed under this thick ice sheet... I managed to rescue the water princess from under the ice, but... she left to head for the Water Temple... This ice is created by an evil curse... The monster in the Water Temple is the source of the curse. Unless you shut off the source, this ice will never melt... If you have courage enough to confront the danger and save the Zoras, I will teach you the melody that leads to the temple."

After he learns the song I turn to leave, but I feel Wisdom give me a nudge, and then begins whispering more words to me, haltingly, I begin speaking what I hear while committing all of it to memory, "Time passes, people move... Like a river's flow, it never ends... A childish mind will turn to noble ambition... Young love will become deeper affection... The clear water's surface reflects growth..." The last line catches my attention, I had this thought a couple days ago, about his eyes, the growth that I saw there, I turn back to look at Link again, but he is a few inches from me. For a few seconds, I'm held there by an invisible force, his eyes, so bright and full of life; openness, understanding, and care held there in his eyes as he looks at me. _I wonder what he sees in my eyes..._ I feel myself start to move closer to him but stop, _no, if I do this, it needs to be once he knows that I'm actually a girl, how would he feel if a guy comes onto him like that? __**Do I really want to kiss him though, Gwyn made a couple good points but still, do I really want-**__Yes, yes I do, but how to tell him now, after all of this that I'm actually a girl...I need to get away right now though, before I do something dumb..._

A half second has passed, "Link... I'll see you again..." I quickly step back, throw a Deku Nut with a little more force than is necessary and teleport back to Gwyn: comfort, safety, and openness waiting for me.

I don't wait for a moment after I arrive before I begin pacing, my head wrap being thrown a few feet away in frustration and then running my hands through my hair. Gwyn is shocked for a few moments before leaning forward and asking, "Alright, what the hell just happened? I think that is the longest you have taken with one of the message things you do and now you come back freaking out? Talk, now."

I stop pacing and turn to her, beginning to explain before turning away, pacing, stopping trying to explain, and then returning to pacing, _how do I tell her? __**Umm, directly?**__ Crap, I hate you sometimes..._ _**It's not good to hate yourself you know.**_ "I...well…you see," I sigh "Ialmostkissedlink" I say hurriedly before returning to pacing.

She half laughs, "Wow, you jumped right on my suggestion it sounds like, though a little out of order. Usually you get to know the person pretty good first and then comes the kiss. I don't see what the problem is though."

"He doesn't know I'm a girl! How would he react if the person he thought was a guy tried to kiss him. If he knew I was a girl it might have changed things, but..."A look of confusion flits across her face before a slight flash of realization crosses her face and then slips into a look of thought. I let out a bigger sigh and drop to the ground next to Gwyn "How am I supposed to tell him I have been lying to him this whole time? Should I tell him? I mean, I kept this disguise to keep myself hidden and safe. You, Ruto and Impa are the only three who know right now that I'm actually Zelda, but..."

"Whoa, whoa, wait, are you saying you don't trust Link with your secret? Did you already forget what he said about why he was fighting to save Hyrule? He mentioned a few points, but if I remember correctly, you were the main reason, right? Besides, you don't have to tell him everything yet, who knows he may not even make that big of a deal about it, if he is very observant, he may not even be that surprised. He has been around us quite a bit the past few days, and you don't act quite like the guy you are supposed to be sometimes. Like last night, most guys wouldn't have acted like that. I bet if you just tell him, and not worry about what comes after, it all will be fine.

"You should know Link well enough by now to know that even if this does surprise him, he isn't the kind of guy to make a big deal about it. He'll take it in stride and will only treat you differently if you want him to, which by your almost actions you explained a bit ago, it slightly sounds like you do." She finished with a wink.

She examines me closely for a moment before nodding to herself, "So what did you say to him this time?"

I recount the words I heard whispered from Wisdom and the two of us slowly go over them. She gets a knowing smirk across her face as I get closer to the end, and then we launch once more into discussion. The day ends with us eating a quick dinner and talking until we both fall asleep.

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><p>Over the next few days we keep mostly the same schedule, get up, eat, meditate, spar, talk, eat, talk, etc. and then sleep once again figuring with each passing day we would hear from Link about him completing the next temple, and we gradually grow more worried as more days pass with still no communication from him. I haven't had any dreams of him being in trouble, nor have I felt any pulls to go somewhere, so we waited, impatiently, but waited all the same.<p>

On the sixth day we decided to try going to the temple. I had never been inside before so it was a new experience for Gwyn and I. I found out on the trip that Gwyn didn't know how to swim, she could stay afloat for a while if she really needed to, but other than to wash up, she almost never goes near water. Shortly after we got inside the Temple, we had to leave again because the water began to rise randomly and we didn't know where we could go to get away from it other than out.

In the end we set up camp near a large building with a weird old man standing near a small hole filled with water. Once more, we settled in to wait. We watched Hylia Lake while waited; the evil in the air around the Temple was almost visible in the area the water should have been filling.

After a week and a half of Link being inside the Temple I finally had a vision one night of him fighting the final evil creature. It was a ball of water that formed into a tentacle of some kind and tried to attack Link as he jumped between platforms. When I awoke the next morning, I left the camp and moved over to a small island with a tree on it, as I knew that was where Link would be returning. The sun was barely starting to come up as something caught my eye. The water was slowly filling back up inside the lake. I looked towards the Zora's Domain and saw large chunks of ice falling into the water as it melted and broke free from where it was hanging. Turning back to the lake, it was easy to see as the darkness returned to wherever it came from.

"As the water rises, the evil is vanishing from the lake... Link, you did it!" I whisper half to myself, half to the wind.

I allow a smile to fill out my lips, it took a whole lot longer than usual or expected, but he once again came through for us.

Link lands in blue light on the Triforce symbol that is on the island behind me, but I don't turn around to look at him yet.

"Sheik." He says softly, I turn and see him, barely standing and completely soaked, for the first time since all this started, I see him looking tired and beaten up pretty bad. I quickly walk to his side and let him lean some of his weight on me. He thanks me, and closes his eyes for a few moments, letting his body sag a little more, I chuckle worriedly; it was more than a bit strange to see him like this though reassuring that he is in fact a small part human. "Come on hero, let's get you back to our camp."

Rather than waste time with walking, I teleport us over to where Gwyn was still sleeping lightly. I lay him down lightly near the fire pit and quickly set to building a new fire so he can dry off. As it started giving off heat, he smiled slightly, and scooted a little closer, almost rolling into the fire because he was so tired. I pull him back away again and drape my blanket that was lying not too far away from us over him. "Don't use yours, I'm going to get it all wet, mine is in my bag. I laugh slightly, "It is still pretty chilly this morning, I didn't want you to be lying around with wet clothes for very long, It'll be fine, I can let my blanket dry later, for now you need to rest. We'll talk more later."

Gwyn started shuffling around, and looks over at me sleepily, "Good morning Ze-Sheik" Sleep is fully awake now; as she looks frantically at Link who she noticed after she started to greet me. "When did he get back and why didn't you tell me...so I could greet him." she asks before mouthing 'I'm sorry' to me.

"You still pretty sleep I guess Gwyn? What was that supposed to be, an impersonation of a bee?" Link chuckled softly, his voice fading fast as his slipped closer to sleep.

"You look like crap, Link." Gwyn stated

"You're pretty beautiful yourself, Gwyn, sleep now, talk later..." Link mumbled

Gwyn and I look at each other and smile, good old Link, even half awake and beaten up he still flirts and cracks jokes. My smile falters slightly; _does he like Gwyn, well, like that? Does she like him back? No, I can safely say she doesn't after all the talks we have had about him, she isn't that kind of girl anyways, too restless at heart, at least right now, to actually settle down with one person. She's said on more than one occasion that her trips to Castle Town work perfectly for her. Really interesting talking to her about relationships...those are all things to think about later._

I go back to adding another piece of wood to the fire, grabbing the blanket from Link's bag and draping it over him as well and then settle in to draw some of the warmth from the flames into my slightly chilled body. I set up a pot over the flames and start adding the ingredients to make up some Red Potion. He usually heals pretty quickly on his own, but just in case, it will be good to have this on hand. He seemed pretty battered...I wonder why it took him so long to get this one finished when the others have been a quick in and out.

Halfway through the day, Link wakes up. I hand him the Red potion that finished setting a couple hours ago and he drinks it down quickly. "Ahh, thank you, it wasn't that I got hurt a lot, it was just that I was so dang tired. You step into a Temple and it keeps you going non-stop. Those monsters in there seem to come out of any walls and ceilings in there and its endless it seems sometimes... How long was I in there?"

I look at him calculatingly, "About ten days. Or at least that is how long it was from the time that I met you in the...Ice Cavern until you came out this morning." I hesitated and look away for a few moments as I brought up the Ice Cavern incident. Even after Gwyn told me to not worry about it...there is still the fear of him rejecting me when he learns the truth...

"Well I'm sorry if you all worried," guessing that was what caused me to turn away. Gwyn came over, sat down next to me and we both turned to look at Link. Color had begun to return to his face and his voice was growing stronger and was once more reaching its normal level. "Fine, fine, I get it, I'll spill. I won't even make you two beg for it either, man, must still be doing worse than I thought." He smiles brightly at us, "I met up with Ruto the same day I met you in the cavern. She met me inside and told me to follow her, but...she left me behind by going faster than I could keep up and I had to find my own way through the Temple. Side note and a word of wisdom from someone who learned the hard way, don't get lost in the Water Temple."

"What was the deal with the water raising? We came in after you had been gone for six days but couldn't do much because about as soon as we came in, the water level started rising in the room so we left again." Gwyn asked.

"Ha, the water level is what makes the Water Temple so confusing. There are four levels you have to change to get to different levels. Sometimes you have to go underwater to reach a new area. I can't really explain how terrible it was because I forgot where the switches were to change the level of the water so I had to search for hours to re-find one I had already found before even with Farore's Wind...I would have marked my map, but I forgot to put it in a watertight container before I dove in. But monsters just kept coming so I didn't have any time to sleep. I also didn't have much time to do meditating, which is usually what I run off of, but...yeah, it was a rough time. I think the worst part, aside from getting lost a couple times, was fighting myself. Very glad it is over finally." He looks over at me, "By the way, Ruto says thanks."

I look at him dumbfounded for a moment, "_Ruto_ said _thanks?"_ I ask him unbelievingly. "No way."

He chuckled, "That was my reaction, but yes, she said thanks for the help and the talk. You going soft on me after all this time? What is it with you and being nice to all these girls man?" He asks lightly bumping into me with his shoulder with a small, knowing smirk.

I look away for a bit, Gwyn catches my eye and nods encouragingly. I sigh..._might as well get this over with. If Gwyn doesn't think it will be too bad, then it probably is not as big of a deal as I am making out to be. _"Speaking of which... Link, I -and please don't hate me for not telling you, but... I am... I'm not a guy." I let my head drop slightly to look at my hands as I pick nervously at the wrappings around my fingers.

I hear him shift, but don't look at him, until I see his knees on the ground in front of where I am sitting on a rock. He puts his hand on my cheek and turns my head up to look at him. The warmth I remember from the weird dream almost two weeks ago comes back to me and realization hits me. "Look at me Sheik," he says softly and I stare once more into his eyes, so warm and welcoming, "I know, and I'll be honest, I've known that for a little while, but thank you for trusting me enough to tell me. Don't worry about it, its one of the fun parts about you, so many mysteries" He smiles softly before stroking my cheek with his thumb in a soothing manner before pulling away and standing once more.

"I'm still pretty worn out, so I think I am going to meditate for a while, let me know when it is time for dinner." Link said as he walked a few yards from us.

Gwyn looked at me with a puzzled look on her face, "But its not even breakfast time yet!" she whispered to me.

"I haven't eaten in eight days, I need to break back into it slowly." Link said as he faced away from us going through the first steps from a past fight. It was easy to hear the smile through his voice. The chuckling after it only cemented that fact; "You wouldn't want my body to shut down because I ate three full meals after nothing would you? Slow and steady is usually safer, unless you are faced with fire, trust me, I know."

I still had not moved or really reacted to anything said since Link told me he knew, and the comfort I took just from him touching me, the reassurance of his words... _I knew he was a great person, but this is a little more than I expected. I thought for sure he would look at me like I was repulsive and say he never wanted to see me again after lying to him like that... But he said that it added to me, that it was a fun part about me...he liked the mysterious side of me...now the big question is, how will he react once he finds out I'm actually Zelda? I wonder if he's worried about me, sure he mentioned fighting for me trying to give Hyrule the future I want it to have, but...how will he feel knowing that I've mostly done nothing to really openly help Hyrule, that I have been here the entire time, by his side and letting him go through the temples alone. Sure I kept some people from being robbed here and there, but nothing on the level of what he has done for Hyrule. I've been hiding, for my safety of course, but more like a scared child if I really think about it. I've hidden from my emotions, from my past, even from my future responsibility by not wanting to claim the title of Queen. He will probably be ashamed and upset that he is doing all this work while I hide, scared, broken, and defeated in mind and spirit when I am supposed to be the strong, proud, fearless leader for Hyrule..._my mind begins to run too quickly for thoughts to be fully processed, so confusing, so terrifying, everything right now, tears start to fill in my eyes but don't start to fall yet.

_There is so much darkness still left throughout Hyrule, and every time we get rid of some, the rest seems to get stronger, I don't even want to imagine how strong Ganondorf is and will be by the time we reach him, he was powerful even before he claimed the Power piece of the Triforce... The fact that Link needs all the Sages to be awakened to defeat him is even more terrifying, and what if I tell him and he decides that it should be my job, and I have to be the one to fight Ganondorf. What if..._

Arms wrap around me from the side and I feel more than hear Gwyn whisper in my ear, "He won't hate you, you know? No matter what you tell him, or how you tell him, or even when you tell him. It may not be what you're thinking about, but I know something is really messing with you, its been a couple hours since you have even moved and I figured you could do with hearing some good news...Link, he's the kind of guy that will be your friend through everything, even if you turned out to be a terrible person, he would see the good in you and make sure he told you about the good he saw in you, helping you believe and work to become the better person you have it within you to be. That is just the kind of person he is. Don't worry about the future for now, it will come as it is supposed to." With that she gave me a quick but tight hug and then stood and walked over near Link and settled into her own meditative state.

Left to my thoughts, I work to assimilate everything that has been said by Gwyn and Link. _Gwyn is so good at knowing the best things to say at the perfect time, and Link_... I smile to myself, _Link doesn't care that I didn't tell him I was a girl, and he knew for a while and waited for me to tell him. He didn't even want to intrude on my privacy and waited for me to trust him enough to tell him myself..._

I lose myself in my thoughts until I start seeing the sun moving closer to the western horizon. I start moving around and getting things put together to make a light dinner. Gwyn came out of her meditation a few minutes later and started helping me. We work quickly in the quiet and then call for Link. We had some light conversation over dinner that flowed easily into some more involved and demonstrative discussion and storytelling, just enjoying each other's company and friendship before turning in for the night.

The next day we talked, meditated and just generally relaxed until shortly after lunch.

Something comes to mind that had been pushed completely to the side after the conversation between Link and I the day before. He mentioned it in passing but I was too caught up with worrying about his acceptance and telling him and everything to even consider asking about it so I decided to bring it up now, "Link, what did you mean yesterday when you said you fought yourself?"

A light shudder runs through his body and he stares unseeingly past Gwyn and I for a few moments. "Have you ever thought, and I mean really thought, about what you would be like if your personality was the exact opposite of what is normal for you right now? For instance, say you are actually not a good person, you don't know love or joy or peace or any of the other great things in life that surrounds us, you only know darkness, hate, pain, despair, and those kinds of things. Not only do you only know those things, but you revel in them, you enjoy experiencing it personally and forcing on to others around you."

Gwyn and I look at each other startled at this question before turning back to Link and answering in the negative.

Still gazing off into pace he sighs, "It's not a pretty image, thinking about it at least. It's even worse seeing it personally with your eyes though… Part of the way through the Temple…there was a room, water a few inches deep covering the floor, two doors, one straight across from the one I entered in with a small island in between the two in the middle of the room, and it looked like it went on forever. On the island was a dead tree, I was wary as I passed by it the first time, but I didn't see anything that I thought I needed to worry about and walked on past to the only other door in the room. The door wouldn't open so I turned around to go back to look more closely at the tree.

"Upon turning around, I saw a shadowy figure that was barely visibly as I slightly blended in to the tree trunk. I moved back towards it to see what it was and…" He turns and looks directly at us with a haunted look in his eyes, "It was me. Clear as day, exact same clothes, hair, hat, sword and shield as me. The difference though was that even after moving away from the tree, it was like seeing a solid shadow, as I got closer, it looked like I would have if I somehow started absorbing light into my body rather than reflecting it back off. I charged it and started to attack, but it blocked everything." Seeing our shocked looks he chuckled lightly but as he began speaking again he slowly slipped back into having a haunted look on his face, "Yes, everything, landing more than a few hits on me in the process. As we fought he spoke and it was terrifying. The foulest nightmares, the cruelest tortures, the most brutal murders, everything dark and despised he spoke of. I would go back and fight hundreds of the bosses I have faced before rather than having to even consider being around that…thing again.

"I ended up having to use Din's Fire, a fairy and a few potions to even stand a chance against defeating it. It was a shade of myself, a physical embodiment of all the darkness that within me and then multiplied upon itself to a level that is utterly frightening. I will admit I'm not perfect in every way and there is some darkness, but…even at my worst I am not a fraction as bad as it was. Fighting yourself, hearing those things being spoken of as if they are the greatest things in Hyrule in your own voice and not being able to land a hit while being continually battered and beat…it's extremely disconcerting. I had to stop for a day after that alone to try and calm myself. But, I have come to accept the fact that though it looked and sounded like me, I don't have to see the world that way or even fear that I will become that. There was a level of perverseness that I don't think is attainable in this realm so no more sorrowful thoughts, yes?"

Clapping his hands together, Link stands from where we were sitting together, turns to his pack and then begins to load things into it. "I'm feeling about like I usually do, that Red Potion was good. Did you add in a little something that is not usually in there? It seemed to work better than usual."

I give a sly smile after recovering from the shock of how things just went, "Sheikah secret"

He chuckles lightly. Once everything is packed (he hadn't taken hardly anything out), he shoulders the pack and turns back to us. "Alright, so I took a lot longer than usual to get back on my feet, and then we've taken some time to relax, but we need to get moving again. Fall is coming to a close and Winter is right around the corner, so unless you all want to still be sleeping outside when the freeze hits, we need to try and get done with all of this so we can move back indoors and stay for a while. Now, the next Temple I have to go to is the Shadow Temple." He looks at me, "Any clue where that is?"

My eyes widen, "Kakariko" I whisper. "Impa hasn't contacted me this week, she and I usually send mail to one another once a week or so with an update, her for things from the temple, me for how we are doing with the other temples. She was supposed to send a letter yesterday, and she never misses our usual day without sending at least a notice or something. We need to go!"

Gwyn and I quickly pack our things. "Sheik, you go ahead and teleport to the village, Gwyn, you should probably go with her just in case there is trouble. Epona and I will bring the gear and that will allow me to gain a little more strength back. I'll see you guys at the village, be safe you two." With that, I teleported Gwyn and I to Kakariko as Link pulled out his Ocarina, presumably to call for Epona.

As we came into the town, we saw all of the buildings on fire, screams from people trapped and cries at their loss of possession ring out all around us while groups of people scatter aimlessly throughout the town. "Get around to each of the houses on this side of town, if people are trapped inside, do what you can. We will worry about putting out fires once we get everyone safe. I'll get to the other side of town and work my way back here, I'll meet you in the middle."

We both split off, Gwyn running to the closest house to start helping, and me teleporting to the other side of town and beginning to do the same. It was late into the evening before we got everyone uninjured together and directed them to work together putting out fires. A few groups went to get water with Gwyn or I going to provide protection incase Stalchilds appeared. The rest of the assembled townspeople worked on getting the fires put out or tending to the wounded. Once everything had calmed down, most of the town settled in for a few hours sleep. Gwyn and I spoke with the leadership figures of the town to find out what happened exactly, and we were told it seemed to just spontaneously happen and they couldn't find Impa anywhere. My face paled at that, that could only mean Bongo Bongo had escaped and captured Impa rather than Impa keeping him sealed away. He apparently has grown much more powerful than before...

After meeting with them, Gwyn and I settled into meditating, deciding that it would be better to stay awake and aware rather than fall asleep. A few more times some small fires started, but Gwyn and I were able to put them out on our own. By daybreak, I was standing near the well, looking into it. I had been in the Temple enough to know what Bongo Bongo's presence feels like and had felt him stirring as dawn approached. I heard Link's soft footfalls approaching. He wasn't as soft a walker as the Sheikah, but he was much quieter than anyone else I knew outside of them.

I felt Bongo Bongo's presence surge closer quickly and only had the chance to shout, "Get back, Link!"

I feel the presence erupt out of the top of the well and the wood is sent flying. I don't let it distract me as I feel a part of the evil presence rush towards me and I register pain and movement as I fly through the air from the blow. I black out shortly after. A sense of warmth flows over me for a couple seconds, then followed by a blast of coldness, thick with evil. I slowly come to and regain my bearings. Looking around for Link, I spot him slumped against a wall a little ways away. I jump to my feet and race over to him. I begin letting my magic flow through my hands and heal the worst of the injuries before moving him to where he is laying on the ground in a more natural position.

After a few minutes he groans lightly and his eyes slowly open. "Looks like you're finally coming around..." I reach over to his pack and pull a Red Potion to hand him. He gulps it down and slowly stands to his feet with a little help from me. The village was once more on fire; I guessed it happened while the two of us were knocked out.

"Link! You have to understand this, a terrible thing has happened! The evil shadow spirit has been released! Impa, who is also the leader of Kakariko Village, had sealed the evil shadow spirit in the bottom of the well... But the force of the evil spirit became so strong, the seal of the well broke, and it escaped into the world! Impa has probably gone to the Shadow Temple to seal it again, but... she will be in danger without any help! Link, Impa is one of the six Sages. Destroy the evil shadow spirit and save Impa! There is an entrance to the Shadow Temple past the graveyard behind this village. The only thing I can do for you is teach you the melody that will lead you to the Shadow Temple...

"This is the melody that will draw you into the infinite darkness that absorbs even time... Listen to this, the Nocturne of Shadow!" I pull out my harp and teach him the Nocturne of Shadow. "Let me and Gwyn take care of the village...just...be safe!" I say as I pull him into a hug. He gives me a tight; reassuring hug back and then turns and runs towards the town's graveyard.

"Please be safe..." I say once more before steeling myself and rushing back to where I thought Gwyn would be, before a thought pulled me up short, _Crap, I hope he has a way to see in there, The Eye of Truth was supposedly lost...there's nothing more that I can do right now though, so good luck Link, you're really going to need it..._I continue running back to he center of town where most people ended up sleeping last night.

Finding Gwyn, we quickly work together to once more start putting out fires and helping wherever we can. By lunchtime, the people were sitting down once more, working to catch their breath from the non-stop rushing we had been doing all morning. Only a few buildings were burnt to the point they couldn't be salvaged. The rest would require some minor patch ups or some redesign work to make sure they are structurally sound again.

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><p>The rest of the evening, and the two following days passed without incident. The carpenters were gone unfortunately, <em>or maybe fortunately rather as they probably would have slowed things down with how slow they work<em>, so that left the rebuilding and salvaging work up to those who were able. Most had survived without any injury, a few with minor scrapes, bruises, and burns from rushing to get out of the buildings but nothing too serious. Everyone was subdued, and rightly so since, to them, the houses caught fire for no apparent reason. Stories that were treated as myth about Bongo Bongo resurfaced and many began questioning others around them if it was possible the 'myths' were true. Gwyn and I went to sleep that night with little problem, though many of the other Kakariko residents found sleep hard to come by as the nightmares of Bongo Bongo ran rampant through their minds even though they had not gone to sleep yet.

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><p>.<p>

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**A/N** So I was working on the next chapter shortly after I uploaded this, and realized that the part I put as the end to this chapter wasn't supposed to happen yet, so I had to change it but there was not much else I wanted to put in so this has become the shortest chapter I have posted. :/ Sorry it has been a month since my last update, glad I didn't just upload what I had this morning because I totally forgot about the battle with Dark Link. As for the title, if you have played the game, the Water Temple takes so long it seems like it is two temple put together, not difficult in the enemies, but maneuvering takes FOREVER.

Thanks to those who have reviewed and followed or liked the story. My guess would be three or four more chapters (Including the possible epi), as there is only one temple left (and the subsequent closure to a plot point or two) before Ganondorf's Castle and consequently the final battle and the conclusion to this story. I may ultimately end up dong an epilogue but there will not be a sequel to this story as I have not played Majora's Mask enough (or all the way through for that matter) to even consider having an idea of what to write for it. Whether I do an epi or not, this story will come to a end with full closure on the plot. Any questions or things you feel are not wrapped up as they should be, feel free to let me know. Sheik and Link's relationship will have closure, the information given about Link's parentage will have closure and more than likely I will give a quick view at what life is like for these characters a few decades after the final battle because I so hate wondering how they ended up. Thanks all, until next time!


	12. Chapter 12: The Long Awaited Arrival

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**Chapter 12-The Long-Awaited Arrival**

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><p><strong>Sheik's POV<strong>

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><p><em>'Sheik wakes from where she was sleeping within Impa's house as she hears a crack of thunder. Most storms do not bother her, but there was something, unnatural to this one. The skies had shown no sign of there being a storm brewing, though it did not feel as though it was from some fell power. She steps outside and even over the winds gusting through the walkways between houses. As she gathers her bearings, she hears an ocarina playing a tune that matches the feel of rain hitting the ground around her, the music box filling the background flowing with the gusts of wind. Looking towards the windmill, she sees the blades begin to spin faster and faster until the water from inside the well erupts out of the top. The door leading to the windmill opens a few moments later and a miniature figure steps from the shadows within.<em>

_Tracking the moving figure with her eyes, she begins to move towards the well as she watches the figure leap over the side of it and down into the newly opened depths. As she reaches the well, pushing against the still howling winds and beating rain, she looks into the shadowed depths, but the figure has already disappeared deeper into the depths. Climbing down, she moves forward until she reaches a dead end with a skeleton leaning against the wall. Darkness sits heavily in the area, and though she has started her training, she feels that this is much removed from her current level and so turns and leaves once more, vowing to tell Impa the next morning when she returned from the Temple. She returns to the house, but gives one final glance back towards the well. Though ocarinas were not uncommon...but surely not, he had not been seen for weeks since it was last reported he entered the Temple...Pulling the door closed, she turns her gaze back inside and finds Impa sitting near the fireplace...'_

I wake with a small start. After remembering my surroundings _How could I have forgotten about that, and why did it just now come to me?_ Now that the memory had made itself known, she remembered rushing over to Impa and telling her of what she had seen and found at the bottom of the well. With an expressionless face, Impa nodded and said she and some of those within the city will move to block up the entrance to it the next morning and requesting that I don't make another trip to that area as it was filled with many dangers and spirits that were meant to be left alone.

Turning on my side to get comfortable on the bed once more, my thoughts continue to rush through my head trying to understand why this memory sprang back to the front of my mind, through a dream no less, and why does it seem like to a part of me, that it didn't happen that way. Still not comfortable, I roll over onto my back once more and stare at the ceiling. Just as my mind begins to muddle once more from sleep, it makes sense... "He's gone back" I softly gasp into the dark, amazed at the fact that he could change my memory of things even now, though they should have happened years ago, and yet they did but still left me with a shadow of a memory from before. _Time shouldn't work like this, should it? If it happened in the past, whether he had done it or not, it should have already had the change from even before he did it in my time...right?_ The whole idea that he was currently changing things within my memory, and most likely others around me also right now, was stunning and confusing all at once. _It shouldn't be happening like this, there is no telling what he may change and how that will affect where people are right now and what they may be doing...will this affect what he has already done in the future, in the now for us? or is that already set in stone? Will this change how people respond to things?_

My mind now was working in overdrive as I thought of all the dangerous possibilities and outcomes this could have on things around us. _If things changed too much to where a person would have been in a different place...whould that mean they would disappear? Will Gwyn disappear now because that small thing had changed? _I quickly glance over to where she had laid down to sleep for the night and with the minimal light given from the moon saw that she was indeed still in the bed sleeping. Running back through my mind, I checked to see if there was anything else that had been changed along with this memory. Nothing seemed out of place, no shadows of memories surrounding anything since Link had come back though there were a few that seemed to wait on just the other side of that boundary though most of them were fuzzy enough as it is. I sigh in relief that I still had my sister and none of our work at the Temples had come undone. For now, my mind was content in the knowledge that he hadn't messed anything too important up, though I expected a very good reason for why he went back in time and changed things once he returned from the Temple. _A very good reason indeed..._ I think to myself as I finally drift back into sleep.

A few hours later, I wake up once more. The sunlight was filtering in through the windows with the curtains half drawn. I lay on my bed, just staring at the ceiling once more, the fuzzy memories from before Link returned to the past were hardly rememberable now, more like most dreams I usually have; at the start they were fresh in your mind, but then you slowly forget what really happened in it while you know there was something there that you just cant remember. Something being drawn in the sand on the beach, but every time the time rolls in, the water washes a little more away, only leaving you with the knowledge that something was once there. Gwyn stirs from next to me as she slowly returns from the lands of Morpheus. She sits bolt upright after a few seconds and looks over in my direction with a strange expression on her face.

"What is going on right now?" she asks in a quiet voice. "Why are there two different memories of the same day for me? One I feel like actually happened, but the other feels, almost...new..." Her eyes become slightly distant as I guess she starts working through other memories and trying to discern that caused these strange happenings.

I turn and look at her in the eyes as she finally starts to focus back on the present, "Link has travelled back into the past, for what reasons I'm not sure, but I am experiencing the same thing as you. My guess is that these are the memories of things before her went back and did something else, and the memories we now have since he has gone back in time and changed a few things. I'm confused though because...well, it seems like if he was going to go back into the past in the future, it should have changed our present at the time he came back to whether the present Link had gone back in time or not...does that make sense?"

Gwyn tilts her head slightly and her face takes on a look of deep thought, "You're saying that we should have remembered it already happening whether the Link we have been traveling with had decided to go back yet or not? Here's the real question though, how did he know he needed to go back in time? Surely someone in our time couldn't have told him already if we are just now gaining the knowledge of him going back, so how could someone else tell him what he needed to know if they didn't have any foreknowledge?"

We both settle into silence as our brains work and slowly pull us into major headaches. I turn to Gwyn after a bit, "Let's not worry about it for now. Link is the Master of Time, he may have a better understanding of things the way he does of the Gerudo Tradition and background."

Gwyn nods thoughtfully, "Speaking of which, there is a Temple in the desert that we go to when come of age, is that the next place we are going? If so, we need to figure out what to do about you and Link. I will probably be allowed back into the fortress without too much trouble, but you are a Sheikah, one of our biggest enemies, and Link is a guy, which is actually considered an even worse place in our society that you Sheikah are. Well, Sheikah females at least, I don't know who is ranked lower between the Sheikah males and just...males. Anyways, the main point is there may be some problems, though you being my Sister of the Blade will probably make it easy for you to get in now that I think about it. And that isn't even taking in to consideration that we should probably try to tell our elders that there is a chance that Link is actually rightful King. If he can prove it, however they elders decide to do that, then you will probably gain some very helpful allies in tis fight."

I sit silently for a few seconds before nodding, "And they must be told, especially if Ganondorf is tearing them down from the inside out like he seems to be doing with the rest of Hyrule. Any idea on how they would go about having him prove his claim is true?"

Gwyn shakes her head and explains that there hadn't been a challenge to the throne in a few millennia, a single male is born within the Gerudo ranks, the rest are girls, and there has never been a King to live past the length of his reign. Ganondorf must have done some unholy rituals and spells to allow him to live this extended period of time, and if how old he looks is any measure of just how long his life actually is, we may be in for a very long time with him as King if he isn't overthrown or shown to be a fake."

We fall back into silence. _This could be problematic..._ We sit for a while longer, lost in our own thoughts before the now familiar tug on my mind draws me towards the Light Temple. I look over at Gwyn and tell her to come with me, we have another meeting with Link. She looks at me strangely and is about to ask something before I grab her hand and take us to the Light Temple. There is still the single beam of light coming from the window at the top of the Temple, shedding some light to the rest of the room, there on the pedestal is the Master Sword, stuck into its stone holder. Gwyn turns to me with questioning eyes and I shrug, "It makes no sense to me either, but Link must be returning to here shortly from the past."

"When you said we needed to meet Link, I thought you meant he was already done with the Temple." Gwyn said softly as she looks around the slightly run down Temple in awe. Though most Temples were hidden slightly and only known to those who needed to know or the peoples that went to them as tradition, the Light Temple was well known all throughout Hyrule, built tall and proud for all to come visit and pay their respect to the three Goddesses, revered as the entrance to the Sacred Realm though most did not understand how it worked.

A couple minutes later, a blue shaft of light erupted from the floor and shot high to the ceiling. Gwyn and I shielded our eyes so we wouldn't be blinded but not before seeing a shadow appear in the center of the beam of light. The room returns to its lower level of lighting and we lower our hands from our faces as Link places the master sword back into its sheath once more looking at us curiously.

"Been here very long ladies?" He says with a slight smirk. "Though I must say it is nice to have a waiting party for me this time, to what do I owe this pleasure?" He finishes with a mock bow.

I look on with a slightly amused look as Gwyn reaches over and hits him on the shoulder before she also smiles at him. My face becomes serious as I remember our questions from earlier, "Why did you go back in time and mess with things?" I ask with not a small amount of frustration.

Link looks taken aback at my tone and question and I try to calm myself some, "Sorry" I mutter softly as I look towards the ground. "It's fine, I didn't know it would effect you two, or anyone else. I had to go back and get the Eye of Truth, it was kinda tough trying to figure out how to get around in the temple without this thing. The only reason I made it past the first dead end was because Navi accidentally flew through the wall while trying to keep from being bored. I sat and was meditating while trying to figure out what I was supposed to do. Shortly after Navi flew through the wall, we saw the writing on the skeleton's head that helped things make a lot more sense, but still, the next room, didn't seem like it would make much sense running along every wall with my hand against it to see where the secret passageways were hidden. I came back out from the Temple and asked around about a few things. Mainly the well since that was the area Bongo Bongo came from and I figured there might be something useful in the well but it was blocked off.

"Found out from the weird guy in the Windmill that I played a song for him that causes a storm to happen. So I figured I was supposed to get into the well with that somehow. That is why I went back in time and changed some things, to answer you're earlier question." He finished with a slight smile. "How much did it change for you two? And what was it like?"

For the next couple minutes, we explained what it was like having two conflicting memories of the same day and events and such. After a bit though, the draw was back. I turned to Link and began speaking once more as I heard the words spoken into my head, for some reason he was going to have to return quickly so I taught him the song on the ocarina that would allow him to teleport himself directly here. After he learned the song he looked at me with a slight scowl on his face, "And why exactly are you just now telling me about this song? This would have saved me so much walking time!" He holds his angry face for a few more moments as I become increasingly uncomfortable before it begins to crack and a smile slowly pushes through. I hit his arm and whine about him messing with me.

His chuckling finally comes to an end as he looks at me carefully in silence. The fact that Gwyn is standing there with us is pushed to the side as we continue to look at each other. A different drawing feeling makes me want to move closer and may have subconsciously...until Gwyn coughs lightly and we both turn away, his cheeks blushing slightly, as are mine though they are hidden quite well with the shawl pulled up to just below my eyes. As I look away I see a mischievous glint in Gwyn's eyes and know I will be hearing about this in some manner later.

Or, to my utter horror and embarrassment, now as she opens her mouth, "Alright love birds, you can enjoy your time later when it is just that, _your time_, for now, it is not so lets get a move on so we can get back to the important things. Unless you want to stay here and kiss while Hyrule crumbles around us." She pauses for a few seconds, "Okay, maybe that was a little harsh, one kiss now and then you can go." She then turns and begins to walk from the Temple.

Link and I flush even worse before Link starts to chuckle while turning to look at me. "You know, I have the ocarina, and you know how to Teleport where ever. It would be quite easy to leave her here for that." Though as he is speaking, his eyes shift some and there is something that draws me towards him once more...hopefulness? Desire? I internally shake my head before dropping my eyes slightly, which doesn't ultimately help at all as I am now looking at his lips. Subconsciously I lick my lips before once more tearing my eyes from the object of their attention and look at the only safe area in that area, his nose. _So glad Gwyn can't read my thoughts, his nose? Goddesses I feel like an idiot._

Once again trying to shake myself so I can give at least some answer to his question I focus back on him, pushing my traitorous thoughts to the side for the time being, "Might as well, maybe she'll learn something from it...probably not though, I don't trust either of our luck enough for that." I say with a slight smile and playful tone to my voice.

He chuckles as he pulls out the ocarina, I watch as he wets his lips and pulls the mouthpiece closer before stopping and saying,"Though I must say I trust mine more since I'm going to be in the Temple still by the time she gets back so I get to skip out of the brunt of the verbal explosion once she finds out and gets back." He finishes with a smirk and roguish wink before playing the Nocturne of Shadow and disappearing back to the Shadow Temple. I growl slightly at him though he is already gone. Slipping into the shadows I wait for a short time before Gwyn returns to the Temple area, I hear her as she makes it into the outer chamber of the temple "Okay you two I was totally kidding about the kissing thing, but even still, either you two are about to suffocate or you've gone over the allotted...number...of...oh" She lets out a groan, "I should have known they would leave after that...thought the look on their faces was perfect and more than worth it." A small smile creeps across her face as she seems to look back at the memory. She turns to leave the Temple and mutters softly to herself, "They look so good together...wonder when..." But by this time she was too far out of hearing range. I shake my head before teleporting back to Kakariko to wait for her arrival.

The rest of the day passed without incident, Gwyn finally showed up later that evening a little worse for wear, apparently she was accosted by a few of the ReDead and Poes between the Temple and here, her spirits still seemed unaffected by all this and was still in the mood for some light ribbing at my reaction. Though she did mock scowl at me when I asked how her walk was, before chuckling and asking how long it took for me to finally leave my hero after she left the two of us alone. The argument and jibes that followed made me once again thankful that I had a sister to enjoy in my life, even if she was being a pain right now.

The next few days continued much the same, Gwyn messing with me, slipping in comments or observations that, though to everyone else were simple and just passing statements, were always tuned to a deeper level to my interest in Link, or what she sees as my interest in Link. We helped around the town to continue working on bringing back order and stability to the residents. It had only been three days since the attack on the village and most had calmed down though some were still on edge.

After yet another work filled day, we once more settled in to sleep. Gwyn and I had just settled down in the areas we were sleeping at for the night when the ground began to shake in a cadence. All across town the entire ground shook while low bass notes reverberating off of buildings, rattling the windows. I looked over at Gwyn, a question in her eyes and I simply nod in response; Link is facing the monster of the shadows. Playing a few seconds and then stopping for half a minute, a full minute, and then starting up once again, faster this time. Then silence. The third time the cadence causes the ground to continuously shake still gaining tempo before the beat falters, falls out of rhythm and then ceases completely. By this time, the entire town has rushed outside and people are looking between themselves to see if anyone has an answer as to what is happening. Seeing that none of the people near them look as though they have a clue, the slowly start moving in the direction of the building Gwyn and I decided to stay in for the night.

Seeing the fear and questions in their eyes I explain what is happening, what caused the destruction of the town, and what I guessed the meaning of the events of the past few minutes meant. I ask them to all return to their homes and promise that answers will come the next morning. And come they did, Link was seen exiting the graveyard by most of the people that were up and already moving in the direction of Impa's home. Most of them recognized him instantly, because of his clothes, as the little boy they had seen seven years ago, running around all of Hyrule selling masks or helping people in the different towns. They followed him as he also trekked towards Impa's home where Gwyn and I were staying, the commotion and noise level slowly growing as more and more people called out to him about what happened. He reached our door but was unable to get in as by this time, people crowded in so close he was hardly able to move. Finally he climbed up on a box near the outside wall of Impa's house and motioned for silence.

By this time, Gwyn and I had moved over to one of the windows to watch how he handled the crowd. He spoke clearly, but in a tone that required all to stay silent and not interrupt him and conveyed the power hidden within the young man. He explained what he had done, and though he was surprised that we had all felt the drums from within the Temple, he explained the fight with a small amount of detail, but not enough to scare those who were younger in the audience. The crowd lost all thought of interrupting with questions as they were spell bound by the young man's tale of the battle and cheered raucously once he finished with the killing blow. They knew they were free from the fear of Volvagia and Bongo Bongo because of this young man's courage in te face of danger. After a few minutes of shouted thanks and handshakes, the people began to disperse back to their homes and began working once more to restore the village to it's former glory, talking of more and grander buildings, planning on how to make life just a little bit better for all those who were choosing to call this place their homes.

Link once more works his way to our door and Gwyn and I sprint back to our beds and climb in, giggling lightly, before he sees us out of bed and watching him without offering to help him, he probably wouldn't appreciate that very much. He walks into the main part of the house before walking over to the door that leads into the room where are beds are placed and knocks on the door, "Hey, are you two princesses finished with your beauty sleep yet? Not that you need much more" Gwyn giggles lightly unto the sheets while my face goes pale, _is that a hint that he knows? Surely not..._ Gwyn continues to silently laugh into the sheets until we hear him mutter on the other side of the door, "or is it that no metter how much more they get it won't help?" Gwyn lets out an indignant squawk and flies over to the door slamming it open and barely missing the smiling face of Link whose shoulders are bouncing as he laughs heartily, "Just kidding you two."

He flashes a smile in my direction before noticing the still pale color to my face, "Sheik, you alright there? You aren't looking too good...I mean...you look sick, not that you look ugly...I was kidding before...not that I mean I'm being honest that you're ugly now...I...um-" He stutters as a bluch continues to grow across his face until Gwyn covers his mouth with her hand, before patting his shoulder, "You're making yourself look like a fool hun, shut up, we know what you mean." A slight smile crawls across her face and the mischievous glint flashes within her eyes once more before turning to me, "He is right though dear, you look like crap." He growls, "I did not say that!" before Gwyn's hand covers his mouth once more, her smile growing once again before her face becomes serious as she focuses back on me.

I shake my head, "No, I'm fine, honest, I just...umm...can't feel Impa anymore." I lie quickly, _he doesn't seem to know that I'm Zelda, so it must have just been him messing with us_, I take a few breathes to calm my heart and start working to control my breathing, color slowly returns to my face, "Is she alright?"

Link looks at me with sorrow in his eyes, "She is fine, you were right, she was the Sage for the Shadow Temple, but that means she is no longer technically part of this realm for you to sense her. She will return to guard her temple, but...you will not be able to contact her very often, if at all. I'm sorry Sheik. I know the two of you were close."

I nod, though I will miss her, it isn't as bad as he thinks it is because my reaction wasn't really about that. I turn to Gwyn and innocently tell her that we need to get dressed so we can go let the people know what all happened last night. Gwyn gives me a small knowing smile as Link coughs uncomfortably and explains that he already told them when they accosted him outside the house and he was forced to explain. Gwyn and I worked hard to contain our giggles and ultimately succeeded without letting our foreknowledge of that event slip. Link stands and exits the room to allow Gwyn and I to get ready for the day. We meet him once more in the main area of the house and sit down at the table to a breakfast he cooked while we were getting ready. Once we finished, we sat for a while and began planning on what to do next. Much easier than usual because this time, we only had one final place to go, the Spirit Temple that was set in the wild desert beyond the Gerudo Fortress. Gwyn and I explained our worries and the possible problems that could arise with our visit to the Fortress but Link brushed it off as no big deal, he knew the customs and the way the Gerudo saw outsiders, especially males, and knew from the start it might not be pleasant at some times.

We pack our things and leave the village after I grab a horse for Gwyn and I find Nightscream. Link calls Epona and we turn and head towards the entrance to the desert. We get halfway across Hyrule filed before the sun fully sets and we dismount to settle in for the night. Link has been making decent time with the Temples so we figured we could relax a little. Link once more moves to the edge of the campsite and settles into meditating while Gwyn and I work to set up a fire and dinner. After eating, we sit in silence for half an hour or so, watching the flames, thinking about the past, or the future. I can hear Navi whispering to Link off to the side, but not what she is saying, he whispers back every once in a while, but it seems to be mostly a one sided conversation, but he must be getting very embarrassed by what she is telling him is the blush on his cheeks is anything to go by, or he is soaking up all the color from the fire. Link coughs lightly before looking at me, "So…I know for a fact that you're a girl now, may I ask why you keep your face hidden all the time still?"

Gwyn and I tense slightly, _he has been hitting around this area a lot recently, I probably won't be able to keep it a secret for too much longer…what can I tell him?_ I glance at Gwyn for a second before looking at him for a few moments and then decide to go with the closest thing to the truth I can for now, "Mostly habit I suppose, I have never taken my shawl off unless I was completely alone or in Impa's company. Gwyn has only seen my face once or twice and she has known I was a girl since we first met…It's not that I don't trust you, but…"

He motions with his hand for me to calm down in a soothing manner, "It's fine, I just wondered. Not that there is much for me to go off of, but if what I can't see of your face is anything like what I can see, you must be very beautiful." His head tilts slightly to the side, "Is that your natural eye color? It's stunning, not doubt, but…I just don't think I have ever seen eyes that color before."

I bow my head as a blush works over my face and down my neck, not that either of them could see, Gwyn's snickers from off to the side speak loud enough for me to know I won't be living this down for a while either. He stands after watching me for a moment, "I'll leave the pair of you alone for now, sorry for embarrassing you, but I've been meaning to mention it for a little while…but…"

Gwyn giggles loudly, "What, had to have Navi give you a pep talk before you could get up your courage? You sure she isn't the one who is supposed to be the bearer of the Triforce of Courage." She finishes with a playful wink at Navi, "What did you say to him girl? Come on, you can spill, you know it's how us girls do things." Lightly laughing at the blush that was once more rising on Link's cheeks.

Link and I were sitting opposite of each other on either sides of the fire, looking at the fire and avoiding each other's eyes like a disease while Gwyn made up the final point of our triangle shape. Navi smirks mischievously looking between Link and I before looking back over at Gwyn, "Not too much, he's been curious and talking about how beautiful you are and continuously wonder what Sheik looks like if she wasn't so, what were his words…'hidden away' I think was how he phrased it, though I don't think he was so much referring to the skin tight clothing as he was the covering of her face." A borderline evil smirk plastered onto her face as she watches the reactions coming from Link and myself, Gwyn's smile isn't much better. My eyes flash up to look at him as his head ducks lower, the blush definitely apparent now on his cheeks. I grimace slightly at his embarrassment, _I know if Gwyn heard half the things I had thought of Link here recently and started repeating them back…I would absolutely die_, I decide to try to help him out some without making it too obvious to Gwyn, "Well thank you for the encouragement, a girl likes to know a guy appreciates how she looks every now and then. Isn't that right Gwyn, That's the main reason you go to Castle Town right?" A small grin of my own coming across my face as I look at her.

Shocked at having the tables turned around on her from an unexpected speaker, she looks at me in shock for a few seconds before starting to laugh lightly and shaking her head, "Yes I suppose that is very true."

Link nods slightly before quickly standing and moving back to the area he stood before and began his motions in meditation, Gwyn and Navi deciding that was enough open jibes for the night turn to each other to continue a hushed discussion that from the few words I heard, was not what I wanted to get in to. The fire seems to slowly lose the amount of heat it had been giving off so I stand to keep the brisk air from locking up my muscles. I feel drawn towards the area Link is meditating and move near him, though I'm moving from the fire, the comforting warmth I associated with the fire seems to return some. As I get closer, it becomes almost suffocating, but in a way of warm sheet wrapping around you after you have been laying on a cold bed. I slip into meditation, enjoying the comfort of Link's presence, leaving my mind to wander about the strange feeling…

Gwyn joins us and begins her own meditation for a couple hours before going to lie down and sleep for the night. I follow an hour or two after her, my body feeling relaxed and my mind content. I lay down and watch as Link continues to move through his previous battles. The more I watch, the more it seems that he is dancing rather than walking through fights, his gracefulness has only increased since we started travelling, his reflexes and speed increasing as well as his strength. The final thought before sleep claimed me was that if he was truly Gerudo, he would be a great King for them, fair, kind, but willing to push you to be the very best you could be, and so much more than you could dream of. His spirit, drive, and passion freeing those around him to reach new levels that none had even considered.

The next morning we woke up and quickly gathered our things before mounting our horses once more and setting out for our destination. After some playful banter back and forth we end up in a race to see who can get to the Fortress first. Though I hate to admit it, Epona is in a league all her own as she easily leaves Gwyn and I in the dust. Ever so often, Link looks back at us laughing and then returns his attention to where Epona is going. This time, after looking back ahead, he throws his arms wide and lets out a whoop. Epona shortly after suddenly leaps into the air and Link gives a shout of surprise and quickly grabs back onto the reins. He looks back at why Epona jumped and yells back for us to stop after he and Epona had landed.

Gwyn and I reign in our horses, slowing them down gradually as we fully crest the hilltop and see that the bridge crossing the gorge is out. Gwyn and I look at each other in relief as our horses trot and then slow to a walk as we get to the edge and look down, that would not be a fun fall… "Good thing you gave us warning, I don't think Gwyn's horse could have made that, heck, my horse might not have even been able to make that," Nightscream gives an offended snort, "Don't take it personally, I didn't mean it, promise." I say to him softly as I stroke his neck in a soothing manner. Gwyn and I dismount and I grab her arm before teleporting the pair of us to the other side to meet back up with Link.

We continue on our path, walking through a large grouping of tents. As we come to the largest one, we see the boss of the carpenters, just standing in the middle of camp, looking to the horizon in the direction we were heading. We speak with him for a few moments and discover that his workers went to the Fortress but haven't returned, Link and Gwyn snort at that statement and I shake my head sadly. _At least now we now that they weren't just acting stupid at Kakariko, they are simple that dumb all the time…_ He asks that we see if we can find them and send them back to camp. We agree and then continue on our way once more. We reach the entrance to the Fortress and stop, I look at Gwyn and nod, at her return nod we both turn to face Link with apologetic looks on our faces. "Link, we're sorry we have to do this, but understand that it was the best plan we could come up with…"

We both grab an arm and begin hauling him towards the entrance, our faces set in an emotionless mask. Gwyn begins yelling the common alert to the Gerudos, "Sisters, we have an intruder found on our lands, we need a place to hold him until we can get answers." The few Gerudos in the area quickly moved to our location. They looked at Gwyn for a few moments before recognizing her with the now short hair, and allowing their eyes to go wide. They look from her to Link and narrow their eyes dangerously as they take him in, sizing him up and determining how great a threat he is and then they turn their eyes to me. Though they relax some, they are still glaring at me dangerously until Gwyn explains that I am her Sister of the Blade at which they all back off and have a more respectful look in their eyes. It's easy to see that even though her hair is short, they respect Gwyn's fighting ability, most being on the receiving end of her blades and losing, for her to find an equal in dueling meant much to them. I smirk to myself, _if only they knew that the guy between us, who they seemed to have mostly written off, was probably more than able to take on Gwyn and I together, and if not defeat us then come very close before we subdued him._ The partially concealed smirk on Gwyn's face showed conveyed the shared feelings on the matter well enough.

We were lead to a holding pit where Link was forcefully pushed into the bottom of as Gwyn and I were lead back to the meeting area to speak with the elders of the Gerudo. The elders were the women who oversaw training, food provisions, and just everyday life within the Fortress in general. Gwyn requested a private council with one of the elders and I and was granted it. _So far so good, not the part that has the most chance of messing everything up._ Gwyn takes a deep breath before launching into an explanation of most of the things that had occurred since she and I became Sisters of the Blade. She explained the feelings she had around Link, how they were what had been described to her as the feeling of being around King for any extended period of time. She explained his unnatural knowledge in all things pertaining to the Gerudo and their traditions and history. Taking another deep breath she finally says the thing that she was most worried about speaking, "I believe that Ganondorf is a false King, that he is living longer than he should be through dark spells and unholy rituals and that this intruder is true King."

While in preparation for this moment, Gwyn explained why she feared this statement so much, in essence, she could be charged with treason for trying to overthrow King and be killed on the spot. The entire backstory and explanation of the feelings she had around Link and the expressed knowledge that should not have been accessible would be the only thing to stay the elder's hand from a quick death. Treason was not taken lightly with the Gerudo. The fact that her hair was short on top of all these other things did not help her case as she was seen to have little to no honor with her hair that short.

The elder sat back in her chair with a deep inhale and slow exhale of breath looking intently at Gwyn. Most gazes do not bother me, but the look fixated upon Gwyn and myself was nigh unsettling. The elder steeped her fingers, bowing her head forward with her eyes closed before looking at us once more, "We will test him." She says finally and with a firm voice that did not match the frail look to her skin and body, many things were likely hidden under that image of weakness, strength of limb and mind not being the only things. "But, know this, if he should fail, you will die as he does. I will tell my sister elders and we will convene in secret to administer the test. Go prepare him, we will send one of your sisters to collect the three of you."

We were escorted from the room and back to the holding area Link had been placed in. They dropped a rope ladder down from the platform so that we could enter the pit in an easier manner. Link sat on the floor in the middle of the pit, drawing interesting shapes, creatures and such. We sat on either side of him and explained what happened and what was said as he continued to draw. As we finished, he pulled the stick he had been using to draw with from the floor and looked towards the opening we had entered from, "Sounds like I had better pass this test then doesn't it?"

I turned to Gwyn, "Do you have any idea what test they will use?"

Gwyn shakes her head, "Not for sure, I only know of one test but I doubt they will give it to him, usually the test is just asking questions that no one except King is supposed to know, but…"

Link stands and moves away from us a small distance, "That won't be the test the use…the one they use hasn't been used for…many, many millennia…" With a thoughtful look on his face, he begins to mutter softly to himself after stating that but neither Gwyn nor I could hear what he was saying. I glance at Gwyn with a slightly fearful look on my face, her face mirrors it as she has no idea what the test could possibly be, but with how harshly treason is treated within the Gerudo, it would be easy to expect the test to prove it would be just as harsh. The only calming fact is that Link doesn't look worried, only thoughtful.

After a couple moments of Link's continued mutterings and our continued silence, Gwyn asks what the test involves but Link doesn't seem to hear her. I move over and place my hand on his shoulder, repeating the question. He looks at me for a few beats and begins to open his mouth but is interrupted as one of the Gerudos come to the entrance to the pit unrolls the ladder down to us.

"The elders will see you now."


	13. Chapter 13: The Beginning of The End

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**Chapter 13: The Beginning of The End**

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><p><strong>Sheik's POV<strong>

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><p>I mentally yell at the Gerudo's who came to escort us to see the Elders. I don't doubt Lin's ability to prove his survival abilities in most situations, and, with everything Gwyn has explained, I don't feel too worried. However, something did give cause for Link to hesitate slightly at whatever test he thinks they will give him. Pushing the thoughts from my mind, I concentrate on keeping my composure, whatever the test is they force him to go through. The guards lead them to just outside a large pair of doors, motioning for Gwyn and I to stop while they open the door and motion Link in alone. Anger flits through my stomach as they motion once more for me to stay put since I had started to move forward as Link crossed into the room. The guards closed the doors behind Link and stood outside it with us, guarding it against our entry. I look to Gwyn pleadingly but she shrugs her shoulders and grabs my arm lightly and pulling us off to one side of the doors.<p>

The doors open a short time later and Link follows the Elders out, surprised, I stand and begin to move towards them but Gwyn grabs my arm, keeping me from moving closer and I see Link shaking his head at me. A firm, determined look set on his face as he follows behind the Elders, walking towards the exit of the fortress into the large, empty dunes. Gwyn pulls me back down to sit next to her again. Unhappily, I let myself sit back and wait. And wait. A few hours later, Link finally returns, but it is not the way I wanted him to return. Four of the women from the fortress each had a corner of a stretcher that Link was laid out on and the coloring of his face did not look too good.

We lead the four healers, as Gwyn had identified them, to Link's room and they laid the stretcher directly on top of his bed, stating that he was still in no condition to be moved by hand to the bed yet. Gwyn and I asked what had happened but none of the ladies were able to tell us what had caused him to sustain such injuries. The four left while Gwyn and I looked over Link a little more closely. He had bruises all over most of his body, more than a few bandaged cuts. Sand was sticking to his face and hair from where sweat had trickled down his face before during the test, or so we assumed.

I noticed after a few minutes of sitting near him that he had started sweating again. I felt his forehead and noticed that he felt a bit feverish. I went and got a rag along with some water and placed it on his head, trying to help his body cool back down some. For the next couple days, Gwyn and I sat next to his bed. Though Gwyn left a couple times to take care of a few different things and see some people she hadn't seen in a while. Link's fever broke the second day I had watched him and color returned to his cheeks slowly after that. On the third day he was able to sit up, eat some solid food and talk to us for a bit before he became too tired again.

On the fourth day, without any help from any kinds of potions, Link had made nearly a full recovery. The Elders were notified and came to visit him. Smiles broke across their faces and they sent one of the younger girls in their entourage to go schedule a party for the entire fortress. The Elders wanted to be sure that he was the true King and hadn't just gotten lucky in surviving the final part of their test, which they still would not explain. They did however give Link permission to explain if he so desired. I gave him a look that clearly said he better. From the corner of my eye, I was Gwyn send a tamer version of the same look to him. He smiled slightly and nodded to the Elders. The group swept from the room after a few more short discussions and comments, leaving Gwyn, Link and I alone.

The three of us settled in for a long discussion. Link explained that the first parts of the test were truly, quite simple. They tested his stealth, wit, his knowledge of their laws and history. They tested his strength by having him spar against multiple opponents at once, hence the cuts and bruises. From there, they explained who they thought he was, as he had no idea who his mother and father were. They told him that a final test would prove it for sure. Before giving him the potion to drink, they explained that if he was the true King, there wouldn't be much to worry about, if he was not King on the other hand, the potion would kill him.

He explained that drinking the potion was almost as bad as being sick however long he was after he drank it. He said that it burned like sun baked sand being poured down his throat and churned his stomach like the wind sweeps over the dunes in the Haunted Wastelands. Shortly after those two _wonderful _experiences, he passed out. The way he figured it, he thinks he reacted badly to it because though he is of Gerudo heritage, his mother was only accepted into the tribe and not born into it. The only thing that truly saved him from dying is the spell that had been cast over it by the Desert Goddess made it so that the true King could not be killed by it.

The day following the visit from all of the Elders, one returned and requested a private audience with the King. Gwyn and I stepped out and waiting to figure out what was going on from Link later. After the Elder left, Link asked that he be left alone for the day. While we were worried, we respected his request and went walking around town. It was astonishing what all we saw. People were rushing about, here and there decorating, working on some item or other, and dancing through the street on their way to whatever their destination was. Gwyn and I laughed with joy at the pure excitement rolling off of the ladies who lived in the fortress. We spent a couple hours, interacting with people around the fortress as they worked on preparing for the party that was scheduled to happen the next day. I was skeptical but Gwyn was very sure that it would be done.

Link and I were impressed that within two days of Link's recovery, the Gerudos threw the party that had been mentioned, sure Gwyn and I had gone out and seen them decorating, but the fact that the town had made this much of a change in such a short amount of time was plain impressive. I was quite sure I heard Gwyn muttering about how surprisingly quick things can be finished without guys around to slow things down. I giggled in agreement. The excitement Gwyn and I had seen yesterday was explained when someone explained that it was the first party the Gerudos had planned since Ganondorf had holed them all up within Hyrule Castle. The fortress had gone from bland, tan and covered in sand to a very festive looking city. Banners were strung up everywhere, music and singing could be heard from outside of different buildings and homes. The city seemed to come alive for the first time since Link had been there. Smiles covered most people's faces as they walked by Link, and all of them were bowing when he drew within a few yards of them. Those he was close enough to, he reached out and lightly gripped their hands in recognition before moving on. A wide smile was on his face, but every once in a while I could see that something more was going on behind his eyes. Something had been said yesterday and I wasn't sure what or why it was having this kind of effect on Link.

The party lasts well into the next morning. The first rays of the sun, breaking over the horizon finds Link and I sitting next to each other, backs against the wall and playing our instruments together, whether it was improv or trying to replicate songs we had heard throughout the party. Gwyn had gone to get some of her friends home, as many had just passed out in the streets, the rest had been of sound enough mind to make it there on their own. Needless to say, the city was quite quiet now; only the notes coming from the ocarina and harp could be heard in our area.

My eyes are drooping and I slightly lean into Link some. He brings the Ocarina from his mouth, my harp already sitting limply in my lap and he sighs. My emotions seem a little more free and raw right now, probably because I still haven't quite caught back up on my sleep, and because of how long today has been. I feel Link turn to look at me and I let my head roll to the side to return his look. No words pass between us as we continue to sit and look at each other. After a few moments, his hand slowly moves to the bottom part of my shawl and moves it down, just far enough for him to move in, still slow enough that I have the chance to stop him, and places a soft kiss on my lips.

My breath catches slightly and my eyes flutter closed, enjoying the feel of it. He leans back, and as I open my eyes I can see the smile on his face before he wraps his arm around me and pulls me a little closer. Just because it feels right, I lean into him and lay my head on his chest, my arm drapes over his midsection easily and I sit, losing track of time, just enjoying the closeness.

Link buries his face into my head wrap before muttering to me, "My father was a Shiekah. His name was Serven Barrhem. The Elder who told me all of this said that he may still be alive. My mother's name was Savina, she had been exiled from Hyrule before she became a Gerudo. Apparently, she had been able to fight against a well respected woman in the Tribe, lost because she broke the rules of engagement, but was still allowed to be adopted into the tribe because of her honor and the fact that the women respected her ability to fight and accept death as her punishment for breaking the rules of the spar."

My breathing stops for a few seconds as thoughts rush into my mind; Gwyn and I knew, about both of his parents. and we didn't tell him. I can't lie to him about this also, my heart probably wouldn't be able to take keeping more from him than I already do on a daily basis. My voice barely more than a whisper, I tell him, "We knew. Gwyn and I, we didn't figure it out until recently though. We were talking about the fact that you could be King of the Gerudos because Gwyn was getting confused and—"

"Whoa, whoa, wait." Link said, pulling away rom me some, "You _both_ knew and didn't say anything? Do you know how long I have wondered who my parents were?" He had stood up at this point with hurt completely visible on his face, "I have wanted to know my entire life! I bet you even know my father don't you?" He asks.

My face had turned to the ground in shame and frustration at myself, "I did, but he died a few years back… I'm sorry, you were gone while we talked and I forgot…Please, don't be upset with me, I didn't mean to keep it from you…"

Link looked on for a moment, "How long have you known?" He asked softly after a short time had passed.

"Link, we—" I started not wanting to tell him it had been over a week now.

"No, how long?" He demanded a little louder this time.

I look at him finally for a few seconds, tears now welling in my eyes, "Since before we got here. Shortly after you left Gwyn and I to talk before we started this direction." I answer honestly looking back at the ground once more.

I don't see his facial reaction, but after a few moments of silence, he turns and walks away without another word. Gwyn would find me an hour or two later, lying in a puddle of tears.

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><p>Fear had become a constant companion for me over the past couple days. Link had been seen heading off in the direction of the Desert Temple one morning over a week ago. It was the same morning that he had found out Gwyn and I knew about his parents. Gwyn didn't fully understand why he was so upset until I explained that he had been longing to know his entire life, that he probably felt upset that he had to hear about it from a complete stranger rather than his friends, and that he was probably about as emotionally fried as I had been which was pretty intense. We didn't talk much past that incident though because I had shut down, worrying but unable to do anything for the time being.<p>

There had been no dreams or visions so I assumed that everything was alright, or terribly wrong since I never felt a pull to the Temple when Link first left. Confusion and worry ran rampant through my mind and emotions. What I found somewhat funny, however, was that for as worried as I was, the Gerudo women seemed to be in an even worse state. Link was, after all, still decently young and their brand new and much nicer, as many had told Gwyn and I, King. The Desert Temple was a sacred place, but also very dangerous and a place most Gerudo women, fierce or not, though twice about entering. For their new King to enter there not even a full day after being recognized as King, they were very worried about him.

Three days later, we finally heard a report that someone was seen returning from the Temple. An hour later the figure had moved to within seeing range and it was confirmed that it was indeed Link. Deciding to ignore my worries of his rejection in favor of making sure that he truly was alright for myself, I sprint out in the direction he will be coming from and don't stop running until he comes into view. My chest heaving heavily from the exertion, mouth dry from the hot, sand air I was breathing, and relief throughout my being as I see Link walking, slightly injured, but whole.

I continue moving towards him without slowing my pace, and while he falters slightly with a couple steps, he doesn't halt his progress either. I stop as I get to within five feet of him and wait to see what he does next. He stopped about the same time that I did and looks at me for a few moments with an unreadable expression on his face. "I'm still hurt that you didn't tell me, but I do forgive you." He says, just loud enough to be heard over the wind. "The hardest part for me to accept was that I understood to an extent. You are a very secretive person, and you keep your secrets very well, but…that wasn't one of your secrets to keep." He says slowly.

I nod in understanding, "I know, and I truly didn't mean to keep it from you, well, not for as long as I did, but it was tough you know? How do you tell your friend that his father had been alive but died while he was sleeping for seven years? How do you tell him that you spent a couple years in the group his father traveled with? I didn't keep it from you to hurt you, I kept it from you because I didn't know how to tell you without causing you pain."

Link seemed to think for a few moments before nodding and taking a couple more steps towards me. Once he gets to within arms length, he reaches out and pulls me closer to him, wrapping me in a hug. "For future reference, you tell him and then stay there to help him through the pain that comes with that knowledge." He takes a deep breath and seems to debate with himself as to whether he should continue. I feel him shrug to himself, very lightly since his arms are wrapped around me still, "I missed you this past week. I know I left without warning, but I needed to get away. Killing those monsters seems to have a way of helping me clear my mind. I'm sorry if you worried. It took a little longer than usual because I had to do it twice."

I pull out from his hug and look at him questioningly. He chuckles and wraps an arm around me, walking the both of us back towards the Fortress. "Let's get back so I only have to explain once."

We walk in silence mostly until we get back to the Fortress walls. Link stops walking as the gates come into view and his jaw drops slightly.

"Oh, yeah, you have a welcoming party, I think the town completely shut down while you were gone. Most of the ladies were worried you wouldn't be able to handle yourself in the Temple. You know, you being young…and a guy and all." I state with an almost evil smirk playing at my mouth.

Link groans and slaps a hand to his head in response, "Yes, I forgot us males are weak, terrified humans who cannot take care of themselves at all. I thought I had gotten enough respect from defeating all those people in the test?"

I giggle, "You may have gotten respect because of what they were told, but just respecting you and realizing that you do more than enough to deserve that respect are two different things. I think if you let Gwyn and I talk to them, you wouldn't have a single worried lady left in the Fortress." I say jokingly.

"Right, except all those who let their mothering tendencies kick in and then they'll say that I shouldn't be doing all that." He groans as I force him to continue walking towards the gates.

Deciding to try to take his mind off of the daunting task ahead of him I ask, "So I suppose you freed the Spirit Sage then since you're here and not still there?"

He smiles at he, half knowingly, half gratefully, "Yes I did, but that will also have to wait until we get back with the Elders and Gwyn." He says with mock sorrowfulness.

Gwyn catches my eye as Link and I come into view fully of those at the gates. She eyed our walking arrangement and smirked deviously at me as we came closer. I scowl at her but can't hold the look for very long. The past week had really opened my eyes to a few things. While some girls would have broken down and said that they gave up on relationships and love and emotions and all that, I had to admit that even dealing with the pain that came from it, experiencing that pain was worth the minutes of joy I felt in Link's arms. Sure, there would be things that will drive the other crazy between Link and I if it ever became more, but it would be the same with anyone else also. My mind still elsewhere but trusting Link to not let me make a fool of myself, I moved a little closer to Link.

As we passed through the gates and he motioned for the Elders to join him. I nod my head in the direction we were walking while I was still looking at Gwyn and she caught the meaning and followed us as well. We made it to one of the rooms within the main building and moved inside. Once we were all seated, Link began to explain about what all happened while he was gone.

He told us about how he went to the Temple, but had to go back in time and go through it as a kid since he didn't have something he needed. He told us everything about his trip through time. The Elders gasped when he spoke of the witches kidnapping Nabooru. He spoke of what all he did the second time through, that he had seen and rescued Nabooru from the mind control of the witches and then his ultimate victory over said witches. Gwyn was broken that Nabooru wouldn't be around like she had been, but knew that she would be the best Sage for the Spirit Temple. I comforted her since I had just experienced something that was almost the exact when Impa took her place as a Sage.

Gwyn and I had moved off from the small grouping and Link watched us go with concern but looked back to the Elders gathered there. For a young man being thrust into this position, it seemed like he was doing a good job of leading. I couldn't tell if it was because it was Link, of if, like the knowledge of laws and history, it came to him because of his heritage. Link finished up his business with the Elders and then slowly makes his way over to where Gwyn and I are sitting.

He doesn't come too close, uncertainty is clear on his face. I smile at his concern and nod for him to head off without us; we would join up with him after Gwyn settled down some. He gave a soft and still worried smile and turned to walk from the room after the Elders who had just recently left. Gwyn mellowed out after a bit and the two of us just sat with each other, enjoying the silence around us. She looked over at me a little while later though and all traces of sadness were gone, "So, I saw things have gotten a little cuter between you and 'the Hero', or is it just Link now?" she asks playfully and I groan.

"Why are you pestering me already?" I ask, rubbing my head with my hands. Even though I enjoy it and have been dying to tell her, I can't let her know that yet.

"Well, while I am very sad the Nabooru is gone and I will miss her, it helps to know that she is more or less the guardian for our people. She may even come back every once in a while to visit us. It hurts a little bit knowing that she wont be around much, but I can live with it. Especially with you and Link around to keep life interesting." She looks around her pointedly, "I definitely doubt that things around here will ever be the same again. Now, enough with all of that, what happened, once you found out he disappeared, you shut down on me more or less. Worse than this place did when they heard the news."

"I was worried you know, especially as we went longer without any word. Worse than that, I didn't have a vision or pull towards the Temple this time so I didn't even know if he had reached it already or not. The only time he had taken that long on a Temple was the Water Temple, and he came out of there pretty beat up. I didn't want to think of what could happen to him in there. Especially when I thought about how things had been left between us." I pause for a few moments. I had been excited to tell, but now I was scared to continue. Gwyn seemed to understand and rubbed my shoulder encouragingly.

I took a deep breath and continued, "I…I realized that life looks brighter when he is around, and not to just be some defender or savior of Hyrule but as a friend. I was so scared to let anyone close though, and still am, honestly. The times I had let my guard slip though, mostly that morning following the party, I understood that I was practically cutting off my access to life by closing myself off. I hadn't missed experiencing life until you came around and then you kept on trying to get me to open back up to life with Link as a doorway to it. The biggest realization that I had this past week though…was that, as much as I wanted to blame it on me being sleepy and not in control of my filter or actions as well as I usually am, my actions that night were my true feelings. I really do like him. Probably have since I first really met him and talked to him, and that fact added on top of me having more than a slight crush on him when we were younger. It's probably the reason I worried about him so much and was so upset that he never checked in with me to tell me how he was doing."

I look over at her, "Thank you, for all of your help. It probably would have been years, or maybe not even happened at all, for me to get back to how I needed to be to truly live life. Your nudges, or punches and shoves sometimes, helped…I think." I reach over and pull her into a hug with a smile on my face. It may have been a crazy fast change, but I feel like it was just time and everything clicked after having built up for so long. I hugged Gwyn tighter to me for a moment as I enjoyed the embrace of one of my closest friends since…well Impa when I was growing up in the castle and then later when I was training to become a Sheikah. The smile grew a bit wider till it felt like my face would split if it became any bigger when I thought about the fact that Link fit into that same friend group, well, maybe not the same, but about that same level.

We pulled back from the hug and smiled at each other. Not much else needed to be said, so we stood and walked to where we figured we could find Link. We moved to the top of one of the walls around the Fortress and, as we came closer, watched Link going through his meditation. It was a fighting style that I and the other Sheikah used when fighting against a single, close-range combatant. We watch for a couple moments, and then I spring forward shouting, "En garde!" Link flows seamlessly through his most recent movement and settles into a ready pose. His eyes lighten and he smiles as he sees me and notices the playful smile I have on my face. We dance around some, playfully striking here and there but not truly trying to land any punches. Link laughs while still dancing around before he suddenly lunges towards me and scoops me up. He locks his arms around me in a way that makes it to where I can't escape or even move around much. He walks us over to where Gwyn is watching with an amused smile on her face.

"Hey Gwyn, how are you doing?" He asks with serious concern slipping into his face and tone. She smiles and nods without hesitation. Link smiles in return and draws her in for a hug as well, giving me free reign to move again. He drapes his arms over both of our shoulders and lightly lead us back down off the wall and we walk together through the streets of the Fortress. We end up meeting up with the Elders again, which I thought was strange since we had left them not too long ago. Link leads us in and we sit down at a table the Elders were studying a few pieces of parchment at.

"I need to leave." Link announced to the Elders, "I have a task that is still incomplete and I must complete it soon. I must return to the Temple of Time. The urge to go has been growing stronger since I came back from the Spirit Temple. All of the sages have been freed and I must confront Ganondorf. I leave you in charge until I return, and I promise I will; Gwyn will remain here with you to act as an advisor from me. I trust you all to make the right decisions, but Gwyn knows me well enough that if you have questions or worries, she will be able to confirm whether or not it would be something I would accept. The main charge in this instance is do the right thing for our people, anything that will make their lives easier and better." Gwyn tried to argue but Link shook his head slightly, she would have to yell at him later, probably best for her since she was about to yell at her King in front of the Elders of the tribe.

"I shouldn't be gone long, and when I return, we will bring new prosperity to our people, and hopefully," he turned to look at me, "Better relations between us and those in the rest of Hyrule." I smile and nod, as do the Elders. Link stands, "Very well, I leave tomorrow morning, I will meet with you again before I leave and make sure you have everything from me that you need." He bows in respect to the Elders, Gwyn and I stand and bow as well before leaving the room with Link.

We don't make it more than a couple of halls down before Link quickly pulls us into an long unused room, "I know you are upset that I am asking you to stay here Gwyn, but this is a fight that you cannot join me in. It must be Ganondorf and I only. You will be more help here with our people than standing to the side watching. I trust you to follow your heart in any of the matters that the Elders may bring to you. I trust your heart and your desire to see our people bettered; that is the main urging I act on with anything I have done here or elsewhere. You know me better than the Elders do, and I trust their ability to lead, as I told them, but I also trust that you will be a strong addition to their ranks, even if you aren't old enough to join them by the common route. I will leave a list of the more detailed thoughts I have on things to do and implement if you would like, but just as I trust the Elders, I trust you." He said with a hand clasped on the top of her shoulder.

Gwyn looks at him for a few moments and then nods, "I understand. Thank you for this honor. Be safe." She says and hugs him tightly, "You're going to be a great king, already are honestly. I don't want to lose the future you are sure to bring us."

Gwyn turns to me after she released Link from the hug and gives me the same treatment, "Keep him safe, and keep yourself safe. You two are going to the front lines of it all." She leaned in and whispered quietly, "And I feel you have a larger roll to play in all this that even you and I know. The two greatest leaders of Hyrule stand in this room with me and I don't want either of them, my friends to be taken from the world before they can do the good they were destined to." Link had moved to the other side of the room while we hugged, it had been a much longer hug. I glanced over at him and noticed that he didn't seem to have heard anything as he looked at some of the artifacts in the room. I nod at Gwyn and we pull back from each other.

"For some reason, I doubt Link will let me get too close to the frontlines. The only reason I'm not being told to stay behind is likely because he knows he can't pull the King card. I'd be more likely to follow if he told me not to." I said to Gwyn, loudly enough that Link would be able to hear. He chuckles, I wink at Gwyn and then Link turns and walks back over towards us.

"You know me all to well, Sheik. That's dangerous for me it you keep outmaneuvering me like that I would think. The ladies of the Gerudo might overthrow me and put you on the throne if they learn that I'm being bested so easily." Link says jokingly.

"Or we may decide to join her and make sure you remember your proper place as a man." Gwyn chimes in moving closer to my side in a show of support, a smile flaring on her lips. Link sighs and drops his head in resignation.

The rest of the day passed quickly with Link and I packing our things. The next morning we double-checked that everything we needed was packed and moved towards the group standing near the gates of the Fortress. The Elders, Gwyn and over half of the city members were standing there, waiting to see us off. With a few final words and matters of business attended to, Link and I set off. Gwyn had caught my eye before I turned to follow Link and she winked at me with a smirk on her face and I shook my head with my cheeks flaring up in a strong blush.

Conversation came easily as we traveled. Link and I rode Epona back to Hyrule Castle since I didn't have the same handy way of calling my horse like he did and my horse seemed to have wandered back to Kakariko between the time we left him here and now. Not that I would say it aloud, especially not around Link or Gwyn, but I didn't mind the transportation set up one bit. It took us a day and a half to return to Castle Town and I was getting myself okay with the knowledge that Link would be facing Ganondorf alone soon. _'Sure the Sages would be there to back him up but…Ganondorf is a however old evil ruler who has at least a small amount of magic powers that he can use, none of that bodes well for Link.'_ I shake myself and take a few mental steps back and reevaluated that train of thought. '_I have no real reason to worry quite this much; Link has faced off against plenty of extremely strong monsters some of which have the ability to use magic. The most recent pair of witches he fought were actually the ones who stole Ganondorf and cast spells over him to extend his life, make him more powerful and give him that small amount of control over magic.'_

I squeeze my arms around Link's waist a little tighter as these thoughts run wildly through my head. It was late afternoon when we came to the gates. We dismounted from Epona and crossed over the broken bridge but Link stopped us just as we stepped into the city. Link turns to me, "Do you think we should look for Zelda first or go after Ganondorf first and hope she is fine? I need to go to the Temple of Time first for some reason though. I still feel the pull, even more strongly than before but there also seems to be a small pull towards something else. But I can't tell what it is pulling me towards."

My face goes pale though, with my shawl and the darkening sky, Link wouldn't be able to see it. _'How do I tell him that Zelda is safe without tipping my hand? I hadn't really mentioned that either, Zelda being safe for sure and all. Why is he feeling drawn to the Temple of Time? There is no sage there that needs to be freed as far as I know…' _My mind stops thinking about everything else and one question comes into my mind, _'What is keeping me from telling him who I truly am? We are about to go face off against Ganondorf so the main thing that was going to cause me danger is about to be dealt with. What other reason do I have to keep my disguise? Surely he won't be upset with me for keeping my identity a secret for all of this time. It was absolutely necessary and now that it isn't as much I am willing to tell him. No, I am going to tell him. After travelling together and him trusting me for the whole trip, even after finding out that I was actually a girl he stood by me. Nothing should change here…I hope…'_

I turn to him, steeling my mind for hat I am about to do, "Let's head to the Temple first, there may be a couple more answers for us there." I say as my mind rushes ahead of us, _'Might as well tell him there, it was where the very beginning had ended so it will be a good place for us to begin the conclusion of these dark days.'_

We moved quickly and quietly to the Temple and slipped inside. Link moved deeper into the Temple to where the Master Sword had been placed for such a long time. He had just reached the first step leading up to the platform with the stand for the sword when he spun, his eyes wide. "The pulling that was so faint before grew slowly as we came back here. It just erupted inside of me when I came in here. It was like tug-of-war inside of me, a strong pull behind me while the other pull kept bringing me closer to the platform, when I reached this point though the pulls evened out. What is going on?" He demanded with confusion in his eyes and a small amount of fear or worry, I couldn't tell which from here.

"I want you to know, that even though I have waited so long to tell you this, I did it out of necessity for my own safety." Link takes a half step backwards and shifts into a defensive position watching me closely. He doesn't move for his sword yet so I figure that I still have the benefit of a little more acceptable doubt from him, but I need to tell him quick. I open my mouth for a second and words that aren't fully my own spring to my mind. Deciding to take bits and pieces from it I begin speaking again, "Link, you have done so much, over come so many hardships. You have been a true hero, whether you wore the title or not. You have given your trust to me, even when I kept so many things secret. This is a bit bigger than you finding out I was actually a girl, but it is for the same reason that I kept that fact a secret from everyone."

I saw him calming down some but he still seemed a little restless. Link… Before we go off to fight Ganondorf, there is something you need to know. Just as you bear the Triforce mark of Courage on the back of your hand, Ganondorf bears the mark of Power. When he tried to take it control of the Tri-Force, since he didn't have Courage, Power, and Wisdom in balanced measures, the Tri-Force split and Courage and Wisdom went to others as they were chosen by destiny. You are one as shown by the mark of Courage, in case you hadn't guessed. The bearer of Wisdom is the seventh sage, who is to be the leader of them." I pull the shawl from my head completely, letting my hair free for the first time in a long while. "I bear the mark of Wisdom Link, but that isn't the only secret I have kept. I move my hand down in front of me as if wiping something off an invisible wall right in front of me. Light flares from my magic and the next thing Link can see after his eyes readjust from the flash is me, Zelda, standing before him in a dress that is the exact same as the one he had seen me in when we first met.

Link stares for a moment before jumping backwards and pulling out his sword. "Don't mess with me, who are you, what have you done to Sheik and Zelda and why are you messing with me like this." He half shouts at me.

"Do I have to grab a sword and beat you like I usually do _Hero_?" I ask sarcastically, replicating the way I talked as Sheik so he could see I was being serious and was in fact the same person.

The Master Sword dropped from his hand and he looked at me with his jaw hanging open before he smirked, picked up his sword and sheathed it once more, "Right, you could hardly beat me in those Sheikah clothes, I highly doubt you could move in something as constraining as a dress, not that I would know but it doesn't look like it would give you very much ability to move." He poked fun at me, a sure sign that he had accepted the truth. He kneeled with a broad smile on his face, "Your Highness, may I say, that even though we have been traveling together for however long it has been now, it is an absolute pleasure to see you doing so well." I cross my arms and glare at him.

"Alright, now come on Sheik, tell me what's going on, or was that entire speech just a really extravagant build up? I didn't know that your magic worked like that, I thought you could only teleport and that kind of stuff. Can you impersonate anyone?" Link rattled off questions quickly with a wide smile still on his face.

"You think this is a joke?" I ask him. "You think that I would pretend to be Zelda just for kicks and giggles? I had to hide from Ganondorf for seven years and you think it is a joke? I left being Zelda behind the night Impa and I escaped from the Castle after finding out that my parents were killed and that I had to exile myself from my people, and you think it is a joke?" I shriek at him, a small part of my mind understood that he was probably reacting to how he thought of Sheik, a jokester who is 90 percent jokester, 8 percent mystery and 2 percent truth most of the time. But the rest of me was hurt that he didn't believe me when I showed him who I really was.

Link raised his hands in a calming motion, "Sorry Zelda, I…how…why, well I guess you just explained the why you became Sheik, but, why didn't you tell me. I can keep secrets you know? I knew you were a girl before you told me, there were too many things that I picked up on that couldn't just be explained away, that and I overheard you and Gwyn talking sometimes. Did you have any idea about that? Did you not trust me? Or…wha…" He sank to the ground in confusion. My eyes had been glaring at him, but they softened slowly, _'at least we are getting somewhere now.' _

"I couldn't tell anyone who I was, not even the Sheikah and usually we don't keep any secrets from each other. I couldn't risk the information being leaked by anyone at all. Gwyn found out because…of some circumstances that were entirely accidental. This was the soonest that I could tell you, now that we are finally going after Ganondorf." I knelt down next to him and placed a hand on his cheek and tilted his head back to look at me, "Remember when I was talking to you about Zelda trusting you, and knowing that you would be able to keep her city safe. I was being honest. You were exactly right, I did trust you with my people, my city, because I knew that you would take care of them."

My thumb stroked his cheek softly, "And while unforeseen circumstances caused you to disappear for seven years, what you have done for them since you have come back proves that I was right to trust you. Waiting those seven years were so hard, there had been no word since you entered the city again. You left a trail of water to the Temple, but that was the last anyone saw anything of you. I worried about you, and then…then I hated you for leaving without any explanation of where you had gone, or why you had left. But then, you came back. You returned and showed up here and I saw you standing there with the Master Sword in hand, a fire burning in your eyes, and hope returned to me, though I didn't fully feel it or allow myself to feel it yet."

I stepped back away from him, straightened up and offered a hand of help up. He took it and stood, "I promise, I didn't keep this secret any longer than I needed to. Please believe me…" I begged him, pleading with my eyes as we looked at each other.

His hand was still in mine from me helping him up. He squeezed it softly and before I could return the squeeze, he pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me like he had the early morning hours following the celebration in the Gerudo Fortress. I wrap my arms around him also and let myself be partially held up by his grip. "I'm sorry, for leaving you all for so long. I promise I didn't mean to…I can't even begin to imagine how hard it must have been for you, watching your kingdom be destroyed by Ganondorf. We will stop him. I promise you that. This will be brought to an end." He states firmly.

I nod into his shoulder before taking a couple breaths to re-center my mind. I step back from his arms and look at him, returning the determined look he had set on his face. Yes it will. The six sages will use their power to open the seal; I will join them and use my power to seal him away in the sacred realm." My magic built within me and knowledge was placed into my mind, "Here is a weapon that can penetrate Ganondorf's defenses, the Arrow of Light." The building pressure was released and as my arms flew out from my body, a burst of light formed in-between Link and I. The light dimmed to reveal an arrow completely incased in light. Link bent over and picked it up, looking it over. He looked up at me and I shrugged with the same amount of confusion as him. Sure, I am the bearer of wisdom, but some of this knowledge is above even my pay grade."

The two of us chuckled as Link stowed the arrow away in his quiver. I start to say something else but the entire temple begins to shake.

I look around us, "That rumbling…it can't be!" I say before my body freezes. A crystal with translucent walls forms around me and a harsh, booming voice sounds throughout the temple walls, "Princess Zelda…you foolish traitor! I commend you for avoiding my pursuit for seven long years. But you let your guard down…I knew you would appear if I let this kid wander around." I tried to break free, but each time my hands hit the walls around me, a painful shock ran through my nerves. I slowly start to rise and the booming voice grows quieter as my eye lids begin to close slowly. "My only mistake was to slightly underestimate the power of this kid. No… It was not…" I heard no more as my eyes fully closed and something akin to sleep claims my mind.

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><p><strong>AN:** Very quickly, there will be one more chapter. It will probably be about the same length because I don't do too well with fight scenes unless it is beating me on the head. If you want to throw in some advice for it, let me know if I should do just Link's POV without Zelda's POV, which is the main thought right now, or should I throw some of her POV in after the final battle? The scene is mostly set, as is a majority of the dialogue; it will just be tweaking it some to fit the new stuff I have added since I got it typed up…like three or four chapters ago… Thanks for reading! You all are awesome.


	14. Chapter 14: The End of The End

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**Chapter 14: The End of The End **

**(And The Beginning of A New Beginning)**

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><p><strong>Link's POV<strong>

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><p>Accepting Sheik was a girl wasn't that difficult, accepting that I was King of the Gerudos was a bit of a relief as it explained why I had those random bits of information always floating around in my head. This most recent bit of truth that has come to light, however, is…well, intense. Sheik had been Princess Zelda this whole time? I felt more than saw as She—Zelda moved closer and knelt down in front of me. There was so much I wanted to ask, so much that I was confused about. She started explaining her reasons and, well most of the things I wondered about.<p>

The most important thing was that she accidentally and unknowingly reminded me that it hasn't only been a number of months that things have been happening like this, things have been like this for them for seven years. She didn't just pick this disguise overnight; she lived as Sheik to survive for all seven years. It made sense to the Gerudo side of my thoughts, you did what you had to so that you could survive and you kept doing it until your chance of survival got better. You then stepped back and reevaluated. Desperate survival attempts are good to keep you alive when you have little left, but using them for extended periods of time wasn't good for you or those around you.

"No…It was not the kid's power I misjudged, it was the power of the Triforce of Courage." The voice of Ganondorf boomed through the temple walls. My mind didn't even try to make a witty remark as I watched Zelda being raised from the ground, still contained in the clear crystal cage.

"But, with the Triforce of Wisdom that Zelda has… When I obtain these two Triforces…Then I will become the true ruler of the world!" I stared at the suspended cage. Zelda hadn't moved since trying to beat on the walls closing her in.

"If you want to rescue Zelda, come to my castle!" Ganondorf said before he began to laugh. I watched as Zelda and the cage she was in began to fade from sight.

I sprint from the temple and head towards where Hyrule castle once stood. I reach a cliff and pause. Rauru speaks with me for a few moments and tells me what all I need to do once I get inside the castle. The Sages extend their power to where I was standing and they form a bridge from the cliff I was on over to the castle. After having crossed over it and entered the main doors, I slowly fought my way through the castle's different levels, destroying spirit barriers that then opened the way for the Sages to use their power within the castle against Ganondorf. Finally, sweat dripping from my head after the decent warm up; I stand just outside of the doors that led into the highest room of the castle. Taking a deep breath and pushing myself forward again, I open the large door.

Inside, I hear eerie music being played from somewhere in the room. I move slowly and quietly towards the direction I hear the music coming from. I move further into the natural darkness of the room, and as I go, my eyes adjust until I can make out a figure sitting at a large set of pipe organs. My eyes quickly glance around, looking for any hidden enemies and there, floating about where the figure, which I assumed was Ganondorf, was sitting at the organ was Zelda, still hanging in mid air, contained within the same crystal as before.

The Triforce marks on the three bearers' hands begin to glow as I moved further into the room. Mine had started to warm slightly as the glow grew brighter. The music stopped and Ganondorf rose from the bench he had been sitting on. Swirling his cape dramatically behind him, he turned around to face me, "The Triforce parts are resonating... They are combining into one again... The two Triforce parts that I could not capture on that day seven years ago... I didn't expect they would be hidden within you two! And now, finally, all the Triforce parts have gathered here! These toys are too much for you! I command you to return them to me!" He says, stretching out his hand with over emphasized movements.

"Man, you need to fire whoever is giving you acting lessens, a little less of the flashy stuff." My voice falters slightly as a dark light surges towards me, exuding from his hand. I dodge to the side and I notice that Navi shudders slightly as the dark energy passes us.

"I'm sorry Link, I can't help you with fighting him, the waves of darkness are keeping me from getting too close." She says with pained desperation. I nod and point towards Shei—Zeld,a without taking my eyes off of Ganondorf, "Go check on our dear friend and see how she is doing." Ganondorf began to float a short ways off the ground moving back and forth slightly.

Navi flies off quickly to check on Zelda and Ganondorf motions largely with his hands and a decent section of the floor falls away, leaving a small square island in the middle of the room. A five or six foot gap surrounded the island and then the rest of the room's floor was left as it should be near the walls. Deciding that I would have a little easier time of fighting him if I had a little more space between us until I figured out what he would be trying to do. Good thing too as the evil king apparently decided he was no match for me with a sword and started using magic right away. I smirk, turning my sword so the blade's flat edge was facing Ganondorf. I waited with the sword just over the shoulder, ready for Ganondorf to throw the first bit of magic at me. He launched it in my direction and as it neared, I swung my sword and connected cleanly with it. The sphere of magic sped up as it raced back in the floating magician. He knocked it back towards me, the speed increasing once again. Having faced many other magic using enemies, I swung lazily at the orb, connecting it and returning it to the sender. He tried to return it again but mistimed his swing and it struck him. What looked like whitish yellow strands of electricity flowed over his body. I watched for a moment, waiting for him to drop as most of the enemies I had fought this way had. He didn't, after a moment he seemed to absorb the energy and began building up for the next magical attack. Hoping to wear him down with multiple shots of the returned orb of energy, I watch as time and time again, he absorbs the energy into himself. After being hit by one of the orbs of energy since I was beginning to tire, Sheik, or, Zelda, err, whoever she is told me that the Light Arrow was the only thing that would be able to pierce his defenses. Frustrated with myself for wasting so much time, I return the orbs of energy again, but when it connects this time, I quickly pull my bow and the Light Arrow out and fire the arrow at Ganondorf, hoping that he had at least been worn down to the point I only had to use the arrow this one time since…it was the only light arrow I had been given. I jump over the gap and rush over to where Ganondorf had fallen after the arrow connected with him. I cut and slash at his curled up form as it sat on the small island platform, sure, it may not be considered honorable fighting, but I doubt the knights and all the other people who kept those kinds of codes had to fight against magicians who seemed to be made of pure evil.

To my horror, Ganondorf straightened and floated back into the air after a few minutes, though blood was flowing freely from the hits I had landed. Most hadn't because of that stupid armor he wore. As Ganondof began building up his next magical attack I decided to have a little fun, "I always thought that only cowards wear armor, these gauntlet I wear help me light things, but this tunic isn't anything special, other than the color, the boots aren't much either, here you are with this blackened, hardened leather outfit on. Won't even fight me with swords, have to cheat and use magic. Scared I'll beat you if we go toe to toe?" I taunt, though as he flings the next orb at me, I question the intelligence of it. I noticed, easily, that the orbs were flying towards me at a much higher rate of speed. _'Should have kept my mouth shut…should have kept…OW!'_

Missed another orb of magic and it crashed into me, wracking pains running through my body. Frustrated and angry that he had landed yet another hit I set my mouth in a grim frown, trying to keep myself from being myself for the time being and staying focused on fighting. _'He definitely isn't a slacker, then again, he is the Great King of Evil, the subtitles that floated up in front of me as he also took to the sky at the beginning of the fight had told me so.'_ I shake my thoughts away and focus on just reflecting back the orbs of magic. He misses again and as I jump across to start attacking his leather armor and trying to find another place to land a painful hit, I think to myself, _'for someone who relies this much on magic, surely he would have practiced reflecting it away from himself…'_

I hear Navi screaming something at me from off to the side, but I ignore her like I usually do when I'm fighting something. _'Can't count the number of times I've heard "Hey!" because she notices I'm not paying attention, but really lets be honest, I'm in the middle of fighting something at the time. I stop paying attention for too long and I could loose my head. Can't she see that I'm busy during those times?' _

After a few more times of back and forth, Ganondorf finally drops to the ground and stays down, mostly. He is straight-backed, though sitting up on his knees, a look of confusion and hate in his eyes as he looks at me. He mutters softly, "The Great Evil King Ganondorf...beaten by this kid?!" Though it didn't come out as clearly for some reason, very…bubbly sounding. A few seconds later I understand as green tinted blood spews from his mouth. "Link…!" He says softly but with a large amount of pain and tension in his voice. He stands back up after a moment and gives a yell. Magic builds at his core, I slowly start to move away some, because that much magic in one place usually isn't a good thing. A couple seconds later, it erupts around him. His yell dies down as the bright light that accompanied the release of magic clears. The walls that had been around us have large holes in them and it looks more like a castle that is a few hundred centuries old rather than what it looked like before.

Ganondorf drops to the ground, face first, in front of me. The crystal that Zelda had been in slowly lowers back to the ground and disappears from around her. Zelda walks over to stand next to me but watches Ganondorf as she moves, "Ganondorf...pitiful man... Without a strong, righteous mind, he could not control the power of the gods...and..." She turns to say more to me but the castle give a frightening lurch and then trembles for a few seconds. "Link we have to get out of here, I think he was trying to bring us down with him! We need to hurry and escape, follow me!" She cries as she is already moving towards an opening in the former wall where a door used to stand.

We rush down through the levels of the castle, a much quicker trip down than it was up. Ganondorf seemed to have brought the dumbest group of fighters for himself from wherever these beasts came from, the entire tower is coming down but instead of fleeing for their lives, they are still waiting around and slow our progress by fighting us. I dispatch them easily enough, but even the smallest amount of seconds can be the difference between life and death with something like this. Thankfully we were able to get out with a few seconds to spare, but the castle was gone, completely rubble around us. My heart broke, knowing that the castle would never be the same, knowing that the building Zelda used to call home was gone.

I look over at my friend, Zelda…Sheik, a person whose face may have changed, and her personality had more than a little bit of difference, she was still there beside me, willing to help and encourage. If she had been two completely different people towards me, I would have had more trouble accepting who she was; but when she told me and gave a decent amount of proof I had thought back between the two. Starting off, Sheik was nothing like I remembered Zelda to be, but closer to the end of our traveling, just here recently, I could see more of my old friend. A more mature version of my old friend, but I could see the similarities all the same.

I continued looking at her face and watched as she took in everything around her. A light of hope and joy entered her face and lit a fire in her eyes that I hadn't seen in a long time, though I knew it had been longer for her. "It's over...it's finally over..." She whispered, just loud enough for me to hear and she looks over at me and smiles broadly. Navi comes over and she talks to use for a moment but she is slightly cut off by a rumbling noise coming from the rubble. Something tells me it isn't quite as "over" as we thought.

A hand rockets from below the rubble, followed shortly after by the rest of Ganondorf. The Triforce mark on his hand glows for a moment before his body begins to contort. A disgusting number of moments later, a large…human…looking…pig is standing before me. "Glad you've changed, the other form was a little too ugly for my tastes. Big improvement." I say sarcastically to him, swinging my sword at my side slightly.

Deciding to start of the offensive, I rush forward and bring the blade down. Well…halfway down, my hands follow through, but the sword, I notice a second later, is flipping end over end, landing with the blade buried in the sand outside of a ring of fire that had sprung up, probably during his transformation, I was a little too distracted being amazed and disgusted by his transformation to really notice…

I pull out the Big Goron sword. Not really my favorite sword, can't use my cool shield with it, but any sword is better than no sword against this massive beast…thing. I take a few steps back, Navi is fluttering over his head yelling something about being helpful this time…yeah… I take in "Ganon's" appearance, as Navi pointed out shortly before she just started yelling "hey" and "over here" type phrases at me. The two flaming swords look very intimidating, heck, all of him looks intimidating, but this is something I have to do. For the people of Hyrule, and…Zelda, I have to finish this. I risk a glance at her and see that she is standing on the outside of the fire—thankfully. A concerned look is plastered on her face, but not one of fear or doom. From that one look alone, I know she trusts me and my ability to fight and beat this evil creature, and that is good enough for me.

I start in again, more cautiously this time, but slowly I begin to land hits on the great pig. "Link!" I hear Zelda yell at me, "The master sword is here! Hurry up, only this will let you truly defeat him." Ganon has stood back up by this point and looks like he is ready to go again. We trade more hits, his size means he can hit harder, but his swings are a little bit slower, slow enough that I can dodge the majority of the attacks. Ganon goes to swing again, but loses balance and falls. Zelda chooses this time to strike with her magic.

I watch in fascination for a few moments before Zelda grunts, "Link, you idiot, I can't hold on like this forever, get in there while I'm holding him down and hit him with your sword!"

As if in confirmation of her words, the Master Sword glows for a few brief seconds. "Use the sacred sword to destroy Ganon!" She yells, though a bit weaker.

I plunge forward and ram my sword Ganon's body. "Six Sages, Now!" Zelda cries again.

A few seconds later, six spheres of light fade into view around us and a large portal opens beneath Ganon. I jump backwards to stay out of its pull and just in time as Ganon begins to sing into the abyss. Even after his head is submerged below normal ground level, his voice could still be heard, "YOU... CURSE YOU...ZELDA! CURSE YOU...SAGES! CURSE YOU...LINK! Someday... When this seal is broken... That is when I will exterminate your descendants! As long as the Triforce of Power is in my hand..." His voice fades as the portal closes around him.

I slap my forehead dramatically, "Knew we were forgetting something…" I say. I start to turn towards Zelda but a flash of light momentarily blinds me. I close my eyes tightly, waiting until I know they have readjusted from the flash. I open my eyes slowly and squint as my eyes readjust to the new level of brightness that seems to be everywhere around me. It was almost like I had stepped into a room full of mirrors and the suns light was shining into all of them at different angles.

I glance to either side of me for a moment and sense someone behind me. I spin quickly, reaching for my sword but not finding one there, weird… Zelda stood there though so there was no need for it anyways. She was looking at the ground, even when I moved closer to her she didn't look up.

She took a deep breath, "Thank you, Link... Thanks to you, Ganondorf has been sealed inside the Evil Realm! Thus, peace will once again reign in this world...for a time. All the tragedy that has befallen Hyrule was my doing... I was so young...I could not comprehend the consequences of trying to control the Sacred Realm. I dragged you into it, too." A notice a tear running down her cheek as she took another breath, though she seemed to shake slightly as she did so this time.

"Now it is time for me to make up for my mistakes... You must lay the Master Sword to rest and close the Door of Time... However, by doing this, the road between times will be closed... Link, give the Ocarina to me..." I pass her the Ocarina slowly and cautiously, something was going on here that wasn't a few minutes ago…

She looked at the Ocarina for a few moments before continuing, "As a Sage, I can return you to your original time, let you grow up as a normal kid and live your life like you should have." Zelda says softly, looking more towards my feet than anything. She begins to lift her Ocarina to her mouth and I quickly move forward.

Just before the mouthpiece reaches her lips I place my hand over hers and force them downward, tears overflow her eyes as she looks up at me and then bends her head forward, leaning against me, her hands gripping mine like they are her life source before beginning to sob, "Please, Link... don't... don't make this harder than it already is. You won't remember anything... not the pain or loss or evil, not m-... you will keep your innocence, everything will go b-back to...how it should have been..." Her body shakes violently as she cries and I pull her close, giving the support I always have, waiting until she calms down.

She slowly relaxes into the embrace finally, I step away slightly and turn her face towards me with the hand that isn't still wrapped around her and smile softly.

"You haven't learned hardly anything still have you? And you the supposed bearer of Wisdom, why would you ever think I would want to return to before. Sure there is innocence returned to me there, but there isn't you." I rest my forehead on hers as I continue to look into her eyes willing her to see the sincerity in my eyes.

"Yes there is pain here, yes there are dark memories, but there is also a brighter future, coming from this darkness we appreciate the light so much more. The night that covered the land is leaving, it's becoming one of the many shadows in time and it will pass as the new day comes to full light."

My thumb softly strokes her cheek as I speak and she unconsciously leans into it, tears still streaming from her eyes as she looks at me. Uncertainty still flitting through her gaze almost as if there is a battle going on between her and…something else. I sigh softly and move my other hand to the other side of her face, gently making sure she is looking straight at me.

"What is going on Zel? Hope you don't mind me calling you Zel, terrible time to introduce a nickname and all but, talk to me, what's going on?" I ask her softly.

She looks at me, the battle still being fought in her eyes, but it seems to have died down some for the moment, "While we were sealing Ganondorf away, the Goddesses visited me and told me what I had to do. That your innocence should have never been taken from you like it was, that you deserve those seven years after all the fighting you have done. You shouldn't have to remember it because the burden shouldn't have been yours to bear. It makes sense, there isn't much left for this place. Turning back time…you will be home in the forest once more…" She trails off, tears forming in her eyes once more. She half laughs with frustration, "I hate crying like this." She mutters, but I don't laugh at the statement. She looks at me and flinches slightly at the intense look that was probably on my face.

Not sure who I was talking to, whether Zelda or the Goddesses I figured were listening, but I say strongly, "The circumstances may have stolen my innocence, but don't you dare, please don't even try to take the one I love from me." I lean forward and claim Zelda's lips with mine softly, before pulling back and looking at her slightly shocked face, "Don't give me a past I don't want instead of the future that is promised to me right now because it is all I could ever ask for. I. Love. You. Zel. Don't take that from me. Please." I return to hugging her for a short moment before sighing once again.

Even though I know what I want…I don't know what she wants, and I will leave the decision up to her on this. It is hers to make after all and I decide to tell her as much. I take a step back, "But, in the end, I suppose it is your choice and I will accept your choice."

She looks at me for a second, glances at the ocarina before dropping it and launching at me, wrapping her arms around me and burying her face into my neck. She mumbled a few times but I couldn't understand. Waiting till her grip loosened and then moving back enough to see her face I asked, "What was that? I couldn't understand you."

She looks up and smiles brightly at me, "I said I choose you, and I love you too. I figure I can be selfish on the point." Her smile widens. "Thank you, Link. For everything you have done." She leans forward and our lips meet once again, not noticing the blinding white flash of light that occurs around us a few seconds later. When we pulled apart a few minutes later, I see that we are standing in the same general area that we were before the whole out of world trip thingy. I glance around checking for anything weird around us, but the rubble looks as it did before we left also. I look back to Zelda, who was still wrapped in my arms at this point and smile as she looks up at me, grateful and happy with her choice, and that the Goddesses let us chose it.

"So what do we do now?" I ask, pointing at everything around us.

She looks around for a couple seconds before shrugging, "Rebuild. Just as big, just as grand, maybe even better." She says with a determined but happy look in her eyes.

I smirk at her after a moment, "I have a better idea, for right now at least. I think a party with the Gerudo's is in order." I say before scooping her up and racing down to where I hoped Epona was still waiting. Excited to see where this life would take me next.

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><p><strong>AN:** I was thinking about doing an Epi, but…I don't really know what all to put. In my mind, he won't go to Terminia with this ending, just live out his life as King of the Gerudo and marry Zelda, truly uniting Hyrule for the first time in a couple centuries  
>There won't be a sequel. <strong>Thank Goodness! I<strong> doubt I could handle writing another one for LoZ. It was fun, but a challenge at different times. Thanks for sticking with me through my first fic, hope you enjoyed it, and if not, that you find a wonderful one soon so that you can feel contended. Next fic that I am working on will probably be a HP Twilight crossover; should be fun! Happy readings!

For those who care, thank you to all those who have reviewed, followed the story, favorited the story, etc. I appreciate the response you all have given me. I am sorry if there wasn't as much to the end as you wanted, but I have honestly gotten tired of the story. I wanted to complete it so I had the general idea of where I was going with it down so that (if I feel like it) I can come back later and rework the last bit to be longer, more detailed, whatever. Hope the ending wasn't a let down for anyone. :/ anyways, I'm done rambling. By the way, did I ever mention? I don't own this story or these characters, aside from Gwyn, but I don't really own her either. ;)


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